Atlético Madrid 2–1 Real Madrid | Riyadh Air Metropolitano | La Liga, Matchday 7 | Sunday, 20 September 2026
Atlético Madrid took control of the derby with two goals in six second-half minutes, then endured a nervous finish to beat Real Madrid 2–1 at the Metropolitano. Álex Grimaldo’s penalty and Jonathan David’s finish put the hosts clear after Dean Huijsen was sent off. Antonio Rüdiger’s late header brought the visitors back within a goal, but Atlético held on. Match report: AFP
José Mourinho’s response was to hold up photographs of the first-half challenges he believed should have produced two Atlético red cards. The decisions became the centre of his post-match argument. On the pitch, however, Atlético had given Real Madrid another problem: how to turn periods of resistance into a sustained attacking threat.
A tense first half
The opening half was more combative than fluent. Real Madrid looked for opportunities to break, while Atlético worked to contain those transitions. Neither side created enough to take command of the scoreline, and the teams went in level at 0–0. Match account: El País
Mourinho started Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde alongside an attacking group that included Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. The names promised plenty of ways to hurt Atlético; the first-half performance offered only intermittent danger. Confirmed line-ups: Real Madrid
Two challenges provided the flashpoints. Cristian Romero received a yellow card after a monitor review of his contact with Bellingham. Lee Kang-in later escaped a card for his challenge on Valverde. Both incidents would feature in Mourinho’s press conference. Match report: Real Madrid
Giuliano changes the game
Diego Simeone made a change at the interval, bringing on Koke for Marc Pubill. The captain’s introduction gave Atlético another option in midfield; the decisive penetration came from Giuliano Simeone. Half-time substitution: Atlético match centre
A pass from Dávid Hancko sent Giuliano running in behind, where Huijsen pulled him back. Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias awarded a penalty and initially showed the defender a yellow card. After a VAR review, he changed it to red.
Grimaldo converted in the 53rd minute. Real Madrid had to chase the match with ten men, and Atlético gave them little time to reorganise.
Six minutes later, Giuliano broke down the right and supplied the cross for David to finish. The first run had earned the penalty and dismissal; the second supplied the goal that put Atlético firmly in control. That was the difference between simply having more room and using it. Giuliano’s decisive contributions: Mundo Deportivo
David, on loan from Juventus, had now scored in three consecutive league matches, following his goals against Real Sociedad and Osasuna. Atlético’s new forward was giving their attacking play a reliable finish. Loan confirmation: Juventus; Real Sociedad match record; Osasuna match record
A response that came too late
Real Madrid did threaten before Rüdiger’s goal. In the 76th minute, Yan Diomande went through against Jan Oblak, who won the one-on-one. It was a reminder that the visitors still carried a threat, even if their attacks remained sporadic.
Rüdiger finally reduced the deficit in the 89th minute, heading in Bernardo Silva’s free kick. Real Madrid pushed for an equaliser, but Atlético protected their remaining advantage. Diomande’s chance and Rüdiger’s goal: Real Madrid
The late goal exposed the risk Atlético had left themselves by failing to put the result further out of reach. It also gave the scoreline a tension that had been missing after David made it 2–0. Real Madrid’s response was enough to make the closing minutes uncomfortable, but not enough to rescue a point.
The argument afterwards
Mourinho described the challenges on Bellingham and Valverde as “two clear red cards”. He questioned the referee’s appointment and criticised the officiating, while acknowledging that VAR had intervened over Romero’s challenge. On Huijsen’s dismissal, he said he had not yet seen the incident again. Mourinho’s press conference: Real Madrid
Simeone stressed the responsibility coaches carry when discussing officials and argued that respect should be maintained regardless of a manager’s standing. His footballing assessment centred on Atlético’s collective work and their control of Real Madrid’s transitions. Simeone’s response: Cadena SER
Atlético finished the derby second in the table, one point ahead of their neighbours and five behind Barcelona. Real Madrid were six points off the lead. Post-match standings: AFP
The refereeing dispute will remain part of the story. So will Giuliano’s two decisive contributions, David’s finishing and Real Madrid’s difficulty mounting a sustained response. Atlético used the match’s turning point to win it. Mourinho’s side left themselves too much to recover.
Goals: Grimaldo 53′ (pen), David 59′ — Rüdiger 89′
Red card: Huijsen 52′
Half-time: 0–0
Goal and dismissal minutes follow Sky Sports’ full-time record; the goal minutes are also reported by AFP.
For the context heading into the match, read our pre-match assessment of Mourinho’s Madrid.
