Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid summary: score, stats, goals & highlights | LaLiga EA Sports

That's all, folks! 

A Looney Tunes ending for a Looney Tunes game.

Joe

Full-time thoughts:

Only by taking a pair of chopsticks, plucking out all the keys from my laptop one by one and throwing them onto the floor, will I be able to find all the possible combinations of words and sentences that allow me to explain a derbi that had everything except a runaway dinosaur from Isla Nublar and an appearance from Pope John Paul II.

Molina's simply ridiculous goal, Valverde's red/not-a-red, Vini Jr scoring twice, breaking a record lasting years, Arbeloa's sleeves, and a million other chances: choose your poison and drink it out of the syringe that Marcos Llorente used in the first half. Twice. 

It might make you turn into the best right-back in LaLiga. Or Carvajal, the second-best. Or Valverde, the non-right-back who might be the best of them all. The game pulsated wildly with three-right backs in full-swing and ended with three left-backs on the pitch, but by that point everything was upside-down.

It was Arbeloa's first derbi; it was Cholo's 50th, and we couldn't have asked for more. He could have, an extra pair of goals would have been nice, but the performance of his side was near perfect on a night where Madrid felt like the old and new all rolled into one.

They were bad at the back, at times terrible, yet in other moments their quality shone through and they found a way to win in dramatic fashion at the Bernabéu.

Where does this leave us? In the league, the same as before, with Madrid 4 points behind Barcelona and in the title race that is very much alive. Everyone has a headache, but that's what this type of football does to you.

FT:

Lunin collects Baena's long-range effort and that could be that!

Huijsen sends the ball into Row Z and gives Atleti a chance to put one final ball into the box...

Sørloth is down in the box, but it looks like it was Giménez, his teammate, who crashed into him as Ruggeri's cross came in.

Everyone except Mbappé is inside the Madrid box as Lunin dives to catch Sørloth's header that is heading into the goal at the far post.

Atleti pile on the pressure, with cross after cross headed and spooned away by white shirts.

6 added minutes.

Into the final minute of normal time...

Huijsen heads away Ruggeri's cross that Sørloth was fishing for. Solid defending. 

Mbappé wins the ball back and forces Hancko into giving away a throw close to the corner flag, allowing Madrid to run down the clock away from their goal.

Madrid make another change:

OFF: Vini Jr

ON: Carreras

The home side are setting up camp on the edge of their own box as Atleti probe like curious aliens.

SAVE!

Trent Alexander-Arnold surprised nobody with the near-post shot, and Musso pushed it away.

Mbappé breaks and plays to Camavinga who spreads wide to Vini on the left. The Brazilian runs into Giménez and turns back before being shoved to the floor and Madrid have a free-kick on the edge, close to the corner flag.

OFF THE POST!

JULIÁN THUNDERS A SHOT OFF THE POST FROM DISTANCE!

Lunin had no chance! Neither would have Courtois! Neither would have both of them together! But the shot from the edge of the box was just 1 inch too far to the right and cracked off the post like a wrecking ball.

Madrid down to ten for the last ten, with a one goal lead.

OK, we're back underway and it is a red... 

(Shout with me) Oh no he isn't! He's going over to explain to Arbeloa what's going on. If he could tell the rest of us that'd be grand.

VAR are taking a look to see whether or not it was a red card. The señor referee is going over to the monitor now...

TrentAlexander-Arnold gets a belated round of applause from the crowd after some nice link-up play down the right.

Fifteen to go of normal time. That's enough for about 5 more goals with the way this is going.

Madrid changes:

OFF: Güler, Brahim

ON: Bellingham, Camavinga

The ball is switched from right to left after Trent breaks the lines with a solid dribble up the pitch.

Vini Jr cuts in from the left and bends a wonderful shot into the far corner, past a Musso whose go-go gadget super arms can't reach the ball.

MADRID AHEAD!

Another Atleti change:

OFF: Giuliano

ON: Baena

Sometimes you forget that just kicking it into the net really hard is also a way to score a goal. What a stunning effort.

Atleti are commanding the ball as Madrid chase...

That goal just happened, and now we're all expected to continue. Don't get get a day off work or something after witnessing that?

Back underway. I can hear the resident Bernabéu mouse scratching under the floorboards it's so quiet inside the stadium.

Nahuel Molina, from a simply stunning distance and angle on the right side of the pitch, fires an intercontinental ballistic missile into the toppest of top corners in Lunin's goal!

AMAZING

Brahim has dropped into the midfield line, to the left, with Mbappé up front alongside Vini. Fede is on the right in something of a 4-4-2.

Welcome back, Kylian!

OFF: Thiago, Carvajal

ON: Trent, Mbappé

Thiago is Real Madrid's first yellow, given for a pull on Molina.

Valverde skips inside on his left and hits a weak effort into Musso's gloves. A sloppy pass from Marcos Llorente gave the ball away on the edge of his own box.

Hancko into the book for a foul on Vini Jr.

Lunin catches the shot from Julián but the mess-up from Madrid's back line just prior had hearts in mouths. If it weren't for a nice block from Huijsen, we could be even on the scoreboard.

Arbeloa's rolled-up sleeves on his bomber jacket are really unnerving me, there's something about it that looks very Tom Cruise after a scientology meeting.

Giuliano tempts in a cross for Sørloth, but he moves too late and Madrid have it covered.

Simeone has seen enough...

OFF: Lookman, Griezmann, Cardoso

ON: Sørloth, Nico, Molina

The man of the moment presses like a man possessed, stealing the ball from a sleepy Giménez inside the box. He only needs one touch before poking past Musso from close range, and that's how Madrid get you.

Madrid win a corner, Vini Jr the architect after some silky footwork.

Rüdiger meets the ball that lands at the back post, but his header is high and wide.

Back underway. Madrid attack again, the crowd join in.

Vini Jr went to his left, and so did Musso. All square.

Vini Jr steps up...

Hancko's tangle of legs with Brahim is enough for the señor referee to give a very over-the-top signal for a penalty. Seriously flamboyant pointing.

Madrid have their opponents pressed back into their own area, but again there's no penetration and they eventually lose the ball.

Cardoso, on a booking, brings Brahim down on halfway as the Moroccan international spins on a sixpence. He avoids a second yellow but only just...

Top work from Lookman, pressuring the ball and shoving Thiago before playing inside to Griezmann. Atlético recycle possession as Madrid regroup.

Mbappé is warming up for Madrid. The crowd cheers as he appears on the big screen.

Atleti change:

OFF: Le Normand

ON: Giménez

The players are out!

We're almost ready to go for the second half!

Opta bringing the goods

What a moment for Lookman, writing his name into LaLiga history.

Of course, Madrid have this man on the bench...

Not a bad option to bring on, I dare say. It remains to be seen whether Arbeloa will roll the dice for the second half.

Half-time thoughts:

Madrid derbies, I can tell you now, are not normally very fun. They're usually as stodgy as porridge even Oliver Twist would reject, and the feeling going into them is that they're tight, cagey affairs.

We haven't had that at all this time, with both sides looking fired up and ready to give us a spectacle. The first 20 minutes were filled with chances and even as the game calmed down into a pattern, it has still given us plenty to talk about.

Madrid are struggling to break down Atleti's 4-4-2 mid-block, with Thiago missing somewhere in another postcode and Vini Jr not far behind him.

Atleti are sensing danger on the counter, expressed perfectly by Lookman's goal, which came out of nowhere. A fantastic move finishing off a lovely flick from Giuliano.

HT:

Half-time!

Well, that was fun!

Güler is down in the box holding his ribs but señor referee tells him to get up, he's a big boy and can deal with a shove.

Griezmann, practically playing as a central midfielder, is crying out for the ball every time Atleti recover. He knows there are spaces to exploit...

Two added minutes.

Arda Güler's shot is spilled by Musso and Atleti are momentarily breached at the back. Madrid swing in another pair of crosses that are eventually dealt with.

Big cries from the crowd as Griezmann goes to ground to swipe the ball from Thiago's feet, but it was as on time as a Swiss newsreader and absolutely not a foul.

A half-chance for Madrid: Tchouaméni's clipped cross from the right corner of the box bobbles agonisingly wide as Vini Jr fails to make contact at the far post.

The crowd get annoyed as Güler is tripped, but I think they should be annoyed at Madrid's inability to string more than 2 passes together since they conceded.

Five to go of normal time. 

Llorente wins the battle against a desperate Vini Jr on the edge of the box, and that feels like the first touch the Brazilian has had on the ball since he played for Flamengo.

Madrid are pushing back after conceding a surprise goal that we must say was against the run of play, but they all count.

Los Blancos' inability to find a way through the red and white-striped mid-block looks even starker now.

Back underway. Madrid in shock. As are Atleti.

The ball is switched from right to left and Lookman darts inside before opening down the left wing to Ruggeri, who crosses inside.

A delightful flick from Giuliano sees Lookman pick up the ball in front of Lunin, and he only has to tap in from a few yards to put his team ahead!

CLOSE! Valverde again is the architect, this time with the help of Tchouaméni, who plays the ‘two’ in the one-two on the edge of the box, allowing the Uruguayan in behind to fire a low cross across goal that is missed by all.

The pitch opens up for the away side as Griezmann is found behind Madrid's midfield. He spreads wide to Lookman, who hits a weak shot that is blocked.

They're both back up, and we're back with the ball rolling.

Now Giuliano is down, as is Carvajal, with the pair going into a 50/50 aerial challenge with the same amount of effort as you'd expect from those two.

Vini Jr rolls to the Uruguayan, whose shot from the edge of the box is deflected into Musso's grasp.

Vini, Valverde, and Arda are all over the ball...

Johnny Cardoso gets the first yellow of the night for a late tackle; he'll miss Atleti's next game, against Barcelona.

Tap, tap, tap , tap... Madrid are not finding their dangermen, with Vini Jr and Brahim isolated far away from the ball.

Madrid are seeing a fair chunk of the ball here, but they're not really getting anywhere with it, and Atlético are more than happy at watching their back line share it around like a newborn baby.

Huge cheers as Madrid win the ball back high following a burst of pressure from the home side, clearly jealous of whatever goodies Llorente has just scoffed.

The move sweeps from right to left and ends as Vini Jr spoons a weak effort over the bar from distance.

Llorente has just run over to the doctor who has given him two squirts of a syringe, clearly filled with something tasty, into his mouth. This is the sort of insight you're here for.

We've had 20 minutes and the tempo has dropped slightly, with Madrid taking more care of the ball as Atleti shuffle in their mid-block.

Llorente is back on the pitch and is looking as resplendent as ever.

Back underway as Atleti have 10 and it's Griezmann at right-back.

We've got a stoppage in play as Marcos Llorente is looked at by doctors. he took a tumble earlier and appeared to hit his head.

It's chalk and cheese for the Real Madrid defenders who are having to deal with Julián's movement today following two games chasing the large steel door that is Erling Haaland.

Top work from Brahim who takes the ball in between the line, spins on his heels, and flies away towards the goal. His pass is cut out but these movements are exactly what Madrid will need to break down Atleti's solid mid-block we're seeing now.

Chance for Real Madrid as Arda Güler's volley bounces wide. Dani Carvajal did well to get down the right and play in an enticing cross.

Madrid are choosing to keep hold of possession after a couple of early scares. Atlético are chasing them all over the pitch.

SAVE!

Atleti counter after Madrid lose possession, and the move ends with Lunin scrambling back to chase a loose ball struck by Marcos Llorente from inside the box. It's the battle of the three right backs so far.

OFF THE POST!

OK, Valverde is clearly annoyed that Carvajal has been trying to copy him for the opening 8 minutes, and he's also scared of Llorente being the most impressive right-back on the pitch.

The Uruguayan takes a delightful touch past his marker and thunders in behind like a runaway train towards goal. His low drive crashes off the inside of the far post.

Atleti get their first taste of blood, and it comes via Lookman's dancing feet.

He skips inside past Carvajal and is brought down by Rüdiger inside the box, but the señor referee says it's not enough for a penalty.

The golden locks of Marcos Llorente dazzle Vini Jr who loses possession in the middle of the pitch.

The full-back makes a run towards goal but is stopped and Madrid counter, with Vini Jr bursting in behind. But somehow it's Llorente who is on his already feet and the first to chase him down, like Samson, full of beautiful hair and infinite power.

Carvajal is doing his best Valverde impression and commanding the entire right wing. He slides into Brahim who pops the ball through the legs of the defender on the edge of the box but runs out of room as Le Normand covers.

SAVE!

Musso called into action early on as Madrid work the ball well down the left. Vini goes down and wants a penalty but the ball is cut back and hit by Carvajal from the edge of the area, whose effort is stopped by the goalkeeper.

Madrid break with Fran on the left and momentarily it's the two full-backs who are highest for the home side. The cross comes in and is swiped away by Hancko.

That's a very high press from Atleti, who come flying out of the blocks to chase down Real Madrid all over the pitch.

A final reminder of the XIs:

RM: Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Fran García; Tchouaméni, Thiago, Arda Güler, Valverde; Brahim, Vini Jr

ATM: Musso; Llorente, Hancko, Le Normand, Ruggeri; Koke, Johhny; Giuliano, Lookman, Julián, Griezmann

Here come the two teams!

What a noise as the players step out onto the pitch!

The players are in the tunnel!

We are just moments away from kick-off!

What type of game are we in for here? It's hard to say... Madrid have not been amazing this season by any means, yet seem to have turned a corner.

Meanwhile, as good as Atleti are, their away record this season is as wobbly as a bobble head of the Elephant Man.

We've got a poll going on social media

Go and have your say and drop me a comment with your score prediction.

The roof is closed for the game

I know this is what you were all wondering, whether or not we had a closed or open roof tonight. It's closed, so you can write that in your notebook.

Jokes aside, it does seem to keep the atmosphere bubbling, even if the neighbours can hear the goals go in before the TV tells them what's happened.

10 to go!

The players are down the tunnel and we're waiting for them to emerge any minute now!

The atmosphere inside the Bernabéu is rocking - the fans are fully onside tonight as they look to close the gap on Barça in this heated fixture!

Nice to see the two home shirts for the game

We won't be getting any glow-in-the-dark away colours from Atleti tonight as they take on their city rivals wearing their home strip, which gives a classic feel to the game.

15 minutes to go!

The warmups are almost over and the players are getting ready to head back down the tunnel for the final team talks before kick-off!

Here's how the table looks:

In case you missed it earlier, here's how LaLiga's top end of the table looks ahead of kick-off.

Barcelona did their job earlier in the day, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 with a lot of good fortune and the hands of their goalkeeper, Joan García.

Now, it's up to Real Madrid to close the gap from 7 to 4 points, while Atlético are looking to get back into 3rd place after being leapfrogged by Villarreal on Friday.

A reminder of the starting XIs:

RM: Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Fran García; Tchouaméni, Thiago, Arda Güler, Valverde; Brahim, Vini Jr

ATM: Musso; Llorente, Hancko, Le Normand, Ruggeri; Koke, Johhny; Giuliano, Lookman, Julián, Griezmann

LaLiga

Why is Asencio not playing for Real Madrid? Bellingham and Carreras in

The strangest absence is perhaps that of Raúl Asencio, who will miss the derby as he's been carrying a muscle strain since the game against Celta Vigo.

Madrid have decided that playing would risk a relapse, and as such caution is the preferred approach. He'll be 100% fit after the internationalbreak.

A sneak peak in the Madrid dressing room...

Here's how things look inside the Bernabéu ahead of kick-off, from the perspective of the kitman!

Florentino Pérez welcomes every Madrid player

The boss is in the house and he was there to welcome the players are they arrived at the Bernabéu.

One for Atleti, one for Madrid

Here's another whopping stat: Vini Jr has played against Atlético Madrid 12 times in LaLiga, but he's never scored a goal against them!

The two teams are on the pitch!

But we're not at kick-off just yet. The two sides have trotted out onto the pitch to start their pre-game warmup routines.

An amazing stat

This is Simeone's 50th Madrid derby as head coach of Atlético Madrid!

LaLiga

Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid summary: score, stats, goals & highlights | LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26

When I had a look back at my match report for the previous league game between these two, I saw I had called Real Madrid “the worst we have seen all season”. Little did I know things could, and would, get a lot worse...

Atlético thundered past their rivals 5-2 at home in the September fixture, with goals from Le Normand, Sørloth, Julián (2), and Griezmann highlighting the mistakes we'd come to expect from Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso.

They're a different beast now, but still with a vulnerable underbelly, and one that Atleti have tickled already this season.

Simeone to Spanish TV:

It's a short turnaround, but we have prepared for the game.

Madrid are strong at the back and strong in transitions. The team are working well, especially in the Champions League, working collectively, this means they cover the pitch better and they're doing well.

It's normal that it's hard to win here, but not impossible.

The two benches:

Real Madrid: Mestre, Fran González, Trent, Aguado, Alaba, Carreras, Camavinga, Manuel Ángel, Bellingham, Mastantuono, Gonzalo, Mbappé.

Atlético de Madrid: Esquivel, De Luis, Nahuel Molina, Giménez, Lenglet, Julio Díaz, Obed Vargas, Nico González, Thiago Almada, Baena, Sorloth.

Pre-game press conference:

Player to watch: Real Madrid

It was going to be Mbappé, I won't lie to you, but since he's only on the bench I'm going with Real Madrid's captain, Dani Carvajal.

The right-back starts over Trent Alexander-Arnold tonight in a huge vote of confidence for the player who has struggled with injury over the past couple of seasons.

He'll be up against Ademola Lookman on Atleti's left side, a player who has been something of a revelation since his move from Atalanta. The winger is lightning fast and a real handful at times, with intelligent movement an eye for goal.

It'll be a tough test for Carvajal if he gets off on the wrong foot in the game, but that rarely happens with this experienced right-back, who knows his LaLiga onions.

Just 7 miles split the two

Before Atlético moved from the southwest to the east side of town, the distance was greater. But now they're at the Metropolitano, it's just a 16 minute taxi journey from one stadium to the other.

Darederbi... really?

Even Daredebil doesn't work either because débil in Spanish means weak.

Stick to Peaky Blinders, it's probably for the best.

Who to watch: Atleti

When it comes to keeping an eye on Atlético, it's Julián Álvarez who is perhaps the man of the moment.

While the World Cup winner has not had the easiest of rides this season, he shone against Spurs in the Champions League this week. I know, 'lads, it's Spurs' and all that, but his performance was very pleasing and his constant command of the entire back line in London is something he'll look to replicate this evening in Madrid.

Atleti are inside the belly of the beast

With Koke rocking some seriously questionable eyewear...

Amazing scenes outside the Bernabéu

This is the special welcome the Real Madrid coach got on its arrival to the stadium.

Mbappé is back!

As mentioned, the Frenchman is back in the side following a knee injury that has been giving him grief since back in early December.

The player has been in and out of the team since then and the decision to sit out full-time was made in February, with his last start coming against Osasuna on the 21st.

He had a brief cameo against Manchester City last week, playing around 20 minutes, with his return coming at a crucial time in the season for Madrid.

How the table looks:

And on that note, let's have a look at how the table looks. 

Real Madrid are second in the division ahead of kick-off tonight with a 7-point gap between them and Barcelona, thanks to the aforementioned win over Rayo.

They’ve actually conceded fewer goals that Barcelona this season but have scored 18 less, which is quite the difference.

Atlético are in 4th place in LaLiga ahead of kick-off, with Villarreal’s 3-1 win on Friday evening against Real Sociedad putting the Yellow Submarine ahead of them by a single point.

LaLiga

Barcelona edge Rayo Vallecano as Joan García shines to keep LaLiga lead

Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano by the narrowest of margins at Camp Nou in the early kick-off in LaLiga, leaving the Madrid side just 4 points from relegation.

The Catalans have done their job and passed the hot potato over to Real Madrid, who are looking to close the gap at the top once again.

Who's the ref?

You’ve already got him ticked off your LaLiga spotter’s guide this season if you’ve seen more than 3 games, as it’s señor Munuera Montero who is taking charge of more than just his lush head of hair.

He’s a very infrequent user of VAR so far this season, needing the boffins in the castle tower just once to correct a decision. He’s also only given one penalty so far in LaLiga.

Team news: Atlético Madrid

All of Oblak, Barrios, and Mendoza are out, as well as Pubill.

It was hoped that the centre-back would be fit to make the cut but he has unfortunately not been given the green light.

Team news: Real Madrid

The big news that has every Madridista jumping for joy is that Kylian Mbappé is back and ready to start for Real Madrid in this season-defining game.

The French forward has finally overcome a knee issue and is back in contention for Arbeloa.

Added to his return is that of Jude Bellingham, who is back following a lengthy hamstring problem.

Courtois, Militão, Ceballos, Mendy, Rodrygo, and Asencio are all out, with the latter a surprise exclusion from the squad.

Hola hola!

Hello and a warm welcome to the AS USA live feed of the LaLiga game between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

It's Joe here today reporting from the Spanish capital to take you through the action as it happens.