Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the derby at the Metropolitano, a win that moves the red-and-white side into second place in La Liga with 16 points from seven games. The victory leaves José Mourinho's team five points behind leaders Barcelona, who have 21.
Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute after a foul by Dean Huijsen on Giuliano Simeone that resulted in the defender's red card. Jonathan David extended the lead six minutes later, finishing an assist from Simeone. Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back in the 89th minute, but there was no time for a comeback.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak praised the collective effort. "We played a pretty good game and at the end we gave them life in the final moments," the Slovenian said. "We are happy, but this is a very long path. We need to get points to be up there."
Real Madrid's defeat has reopened debate about their midfield issues and dressing-room attitude, echoes of last season's struggles. Internal sources at the white club described the performance against Atlético as a disaster because nothing had changed. Although Mourinho publicly focused his criticism on the officiating, showing images of challenges by Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in at his press conference, the coach and his staff privately acknowledged the need for self-criticism.
Atletico, meanwhile, are on a three-game winning streak in the league after also beating Real Sociedad and Osasuna. Mourinho's team has scored 16 goals and conceded just seven, with a positive goal difference of nine. Álex Baena is their top scorer this season with four goals.
The match was marked by a high tempo and intense Atlético pressure from the start, which made it difficult for Real Madrid to play out from the back. The home side had the clearest chances of the first half, with a headed effort from Álex Baena crashing against the crossbar. Huijsen's red card in the second half completely changed the course of the game, allowing Atlético to dominate with a numerical advantage.
Following the international break, Atlético Madrid will resume competition on October 10 with a visit to Alaves, who are sixth in the table. Real Madrid will host Valencia at the Santiago Bernabéu on the same day.
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