David makes history as Atlético defeat Real Madrid at the Metropolitano
Atlético Madrid earned a valuable 2-1 victory over city rivals Real Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in a dramatic LaLiga derby.
Dean Huijsens second‑half red card turned out to be the moment letting Atlético take charge and pushing their unbeaten home streak to four league games.
Match highlight
The first half did not match the excitement that surrounded the Madrid derby. Neither goalkeeper faced threats for long stretches though Thibaut Courtois had to keep his focus to stop a dangerous cross from Lee Kang‑in aimed at the far post.
Nevertheless the game kept the intensity of a rivalry this big with hard challenges and heated one‑on‑one fights all over the field.
A major clash happened between Jude Bellingham and Cristian Romero. Jude Bellingham first received a card for a 50‑50 tackle but VAR saw the play and the referee switched the booking to Cristian Romero.
Cristian Romero, the Atlético defender on his Madrid derby debut dodged a card but stayed under pressure all game.
Real Madrid were also frustrated when Lee escaped dismissal following a foul a call that infuriated Real Madrid as Real Madrid looked to secure a third straight derby victory for the first time since December 2020.
The game changed after the restart. Dean Huijsen tackled Giuliano Simeone during an Atlético move and was sent off after VAR checked the play. Atlético earned a penalty. Alex Grimaldo stayed calm to score from the spot giving the home side an important lead.
With Real Madrid playing with ten players Atlético soon added a goal before the hour was up. Jonathan David finished solidly after Giuliano Simeone sent a cross into the box. That goal mattered a lot because Jonathan David became the Atlético player in the 21st century to score in each of his first three LaLiga games.
Atlético seemed at ease until Antonio Rüdiger headed a ball from a Bernardo Silva free‑kick into the net giving Real Madrid hope in the match. The last minutes were nervous. Diego Simeone’s team held firm to win the game.
The result pushed Atlético up, to place in LaLiga while Real Madrid fell to third after Real Madrids second league loss of the season.
