Goals: Real Madrid – Atletico Madrid – Played on 02/25/ 2023
A positive draw (1-1) settled the Madrid derby match between Real Madrid and Atletico, on Saturday, in the “Santiago Bernabeu” stronghold, in the 23rd round of the Spanish League.
Jose Maria Jimenez scored for Atletico Madrid (78), while Alvaro Rodriguez scored the equalizer for Real Madrid (85).
With this tie, the Royals raised their tally to 52 points in the title of the La Liga table. The Atlético also raised its tally to 42 points in fourth place. The difference with Barcelona, the leader, widens by 7 points.
The match started with pressure from Real Madrid, and Marco Asensio hit a powerful ball from inside the penalty area, which was narrowly saved by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 9th minute.
Fede Valverde sent a cross from the right side towards Karim Benzema inside the penalty area, which passed over the Rojiblancos’ goal in the 18th minute.. while Thibaut Courtois blocked a shot from Atletico’s Carrasco, which prevented him from advancing in the 22nd minute.
Royal midfielder Danny Ceballos tried to shoot from outside the penalty area, but it passed over the Atletico goal in the 25th minute.. From a counterattack by Atletico Madrid, Saul Niguez hit a powerful ball that passed over the Meringue goal in the 43rd minute, to end the first half with a goalless draw.
With the start of the second half, Vinicius passed a cross from the left side inside the penalty area, towards Karim Benzema, who hit a ball that passed by the left post of goalkeeper Oblak in the 49th minute.
Fede Valverde received a ball from Benzema inside the penalty area, and hit a powerful ground ball, but outside Oblak’s goal in the 52nd minute.
Antoine Griezmann, an Atletico Madrid striker, almost opened the scoring for the Rojiblancos in the 60th minute, with a creeping ground shot on the edge of the penalty area, which passed by the left post.
Valverde sent a shell from outside the penalty area, which passed by the right post of Oblak’s goal in the 62nd minute.
The most famous referee of the match was a red card directly in the face of Angel Correa, due to his elbow intervention on Real Madrid player Rudiger, without a ball, in the 64th minute.
The match referee awarded an indirect free kick to Atletico Madrid on the edge of the penalty area, which Griezmann curved inside the area, where Jose Jimenez rose and headed a ball under the left of goalkeeper Courtois, to give the Rojiblancos the lead, in the 78th minute.
Vinicius Jr. received a ball on the border of the area, but he hit with excessive force above Oblak’s goal in the 82nd minute.. While Camavinga hit a ball inside the area, Oblak shone in stopping it in the 84th minute.
And from a corner kick by Al-Merenji, executed by Luka Modric from the right side, it reached curved inside the penalty area, and young substitute Alvaro Rodriguez rose and hit the far left of goalkeeper Oblak, to give the equalizer to Al-Merenji, in the 85th minute.
Real Madrid’s attempts continued in the remaining minutes to snatch the victory goal, but without any effectiveness, so Al-Merenji lost two valuable points in their journey to fight for the La Liga title.
