Real Madrid succumbed to just their 2nd defeat of the season – coincidentally happening in the same stadium against the same opponent. This loss also knocked the Merengues out of the Copa Del Rey.
Atletico winger Samuel Lino opened the scoring for the hosts in the 39th minute of the game. Just on the brink of half time, the score was equalized at 1-1, thanks to a Jan Oblak own goal.
Alvaro Morata scored against his former side and gave his team the lead after a poor pass from Camavinga into his own area confused Rüdiger and Lunin. The Spaniard pounced and put the ball into the net.
In the 82nd minute of the game, Lunin made a brilliant save which led to a counterattack from the men in white. Jude Bellingham nicely found Joselu at the back post and he easily headed the ball home.
Similar to their previous meeting, this fixture also went to extra time but this time in favour of the Los Rojiblancos. Goals from Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme propelled the hosts to a 4-2 victory and progressed to the quarter-finals.
Vinícius Júnior had a poor night as he failed to make much of an impact despite coming off a hat trick 5 days ago. Bellingham was at his best but looked exhausted due to the amount of high-intensity games they’ve played in a week.
Captaining Los Blancos, Nacho after the match mentioned how they would look to bounce back while also expressing disappointment at the loss:
“We wanted to qualify but this loss is not going to tarnish anything, we are very confident. In general terms, we have played a very complete game. It’s time to learn from mistakes. The elimination hurts because at Real Madrid the demand is maximum and we always want to fight for all competitions,” said the Spaniard.
Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the fact that Atletico had more time to prepare for this fixture and now his players felt a little tired because they played 120 minutes twice in 3 games in a span of a week: “It was an intense match and now we are a little tired,” said the Italian.
Tiredness led to the players making mistakes and not taking control of the game after the score was 2-2: “When we tied the match we lacked some control and we didn’t take enough risks,” said Carlo.
As Carlo Ancelotti mentioned before the match: “It is not possible to win every game ever. Our streak may come to an end, but the important thing is how we take it and bounce back.” It is now time for the players to show character and bounce back because there is still a league and Champions League at stake.
So, Real Madrid’s 21-game unbeaten streak came to an end and both their losses this season have come against the same side. They meet again at the Bernabeu 16 days from now, where the Merengues hold a 10-point lead over their rivals.
Next up, the Vikings face Almeria, giving Ancelotti the chance to rest important players who are tired. That game would be the best chance for players like Güler and Brahim Díaz to make an impact. Girona dropped points, which means a victory here would give Madrid a 2-point lead which can prove to be crucial.
