Actual Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his facet’s first purpose throughout a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Actual Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Picture/Manu Fernandez)
Kylian Mbappé scored in his first capital derby towards Atletico Madrid as Actual Madrid fought again for a 1-1 draw and stored its slim lead within the Spanish league on Saturday.
Subsequent up for Mbappé and Madrid is a visit to Manchester Metropolis on Tuesday for the primary leg of their Champions League knockout spherical playoff.
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Julián Álvarez put Atletico forward from the penalty spot within the thirty fifth minute. Mbappé equalized within the fiftieth for the hosts, which stayed one level forward of Atletico within the standings.
READ: Actual Madrid’s successful run surprisingly ends in loss at Espanyol
Jude Bellingham hit the crossbar with a header as Madrid looked for a second purpose. Atletico goalkeeper Jan Olbak made saves to disclaim Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé to separate the factors on the Santiago Bernabeu.
“We knew how you can hold in there and had our probabilities,” Álvarez stated. “We’re within the struggle and can keep in it proper to the top.”
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Atletico, which spent huge final summer time to accumulate Álvarez and different reinforcements, is attempting so as to add to league titles in 2021 and 2014 beneath coach Diego Simeone.
Barcelona, in third place, is 5 factors behind Madrid earlier than visiting Sevilla on Sunday.
Mbappé had missed the primary Atletico derby of the season, a 1-1 attract September, due to harm.
First half to Atletico
A spate of accidents left Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti counting on a makeshift backline of Lucas Vázquez, common midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, youth participant Raul Asencio, and Fran García.
A reckless stretch of his boot by Tchouaméni that ended up tripping Samuel Lino was noticed by a video evaluation referee and despatched Álvarez to the penalty spot.
The previous Man Metropolis striker gently stroked his penalty down the center as Thibaut Courtois dived to his left.
READ: Kylian Mbappe scores first hat trick for Actual Madrid
Antoine Griezmann confirmed once more his nice worth to Atletico with precision passing even beneath duress. The French midfielder twice positioned completely weighted balls that left Álvarez and Lino in good place to get off pictures inside the world, however clumsy touches by each ruined the alternatives.
“It’s a draw that leaves each groups considering they may have gotten a greater end result,” Simeone stated. “We had some conditions that we lacked the readability we wanted to resolve higher.”
Second half to Actual
Rodrygo sparked the Madrid comeback simply after halftime when he dribbled previous Javi Galan and Lino on the proper facet and slipped a ball to Bellingham within the coronary heart of the field. Bellingham’s scuffed shot hit a defender and fell to Mbappé to rifle house for his first purpose towards Atletico.
Mbappé had missed the primary Atletico derby of the season, a 1-1 attract September, due to harm.
Madrid poured ahead trying to find a second purpose with Atletico rattled. Vinícius dribbled down the left facet and scooped the ball for Bellingham, who smashed a header off the woodwork.
Simeone modified each his full backs with Reinildo and Nahuel Molina within the 63rd, however Oblak nonetheless needed to come to Atletico’s rescue on three events.
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“It’s going to be a tightly contested league till the very finish,” Ancelotti stated.
