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Real Madrid 2-0 Atlético de Madrid: Champions closes the gap with another beautiful victory
For the third consecutive game, Real Madrid achieved a great victory in the defeat of LaLiga leaders Atlético de Madrid in the derby.
Real Madrid beat Atlético de Madrid 2-0 in Saturday’s derby to get within three points of the leaders and cap off a brilliant week.
The pressure was mounting on Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane before his team won in Seville last weekend and then advanced into the Champions League by beating Borussia Monchengladbach.
Thus, the Spanish champions headed into the clash with Atleti in high spirits and quickly established another lead with a header from Casemiro.
Atleti had won their previous seven LaLiga games and were undefeated this season, but their record against Madrid is far less impressive and Jan Oblak’s ill-fated second-half goal ensured a ninth straight league game with their neighbors without a win.
Madrid had the visitors on their back foot from the start and only a vital touch from Oblak denied Karim Benzema as he launched a 20-yard drive against the post.
The first goal came very early when Casemiro got up to head a corner kick from Toni Kroos inside the near post, unimpeded by the slippage of the marker Héctor Herrera, although the game was later slowed down.
Atleti had to wait until the 55th minute for their first notable effort, but should have leveled when Thomas Lemar ghostly entered the far post after Raphael Varane failed to cut a low cross, only to stab a meek effort into the lateral net. .
They were paid eight minutes later when Dani Carvajal fired low from outside the area and the ball bounced off the post, against an Oblak lying face down and inside the net.
A recovery from Diego Simeone’s men always seemed unlikely and Thibaut Courtois saved well from a close-range header from Saúl Niguez to allow Madrid to slide home, nearly scoring a third as Oblak converted Lucas Vázquez’s blast into the part. higher.
What does that mean? The whites are back on track
Madrid had lost two of their three previous league games at home before this match, but the tide already seemed to have turned earlier in the week.
A vital victory in Seville was followed by the most accomplished display of the season thus far as they edged out Gladbach, setting the stage for a third win and a third clean sheet.
Atleti didn’t even get a chance before half-time, the first such instance in this match since Opta’s records began in 2003-04.
Madrid inspired by the spine
Since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus, Madrid have relied heavily on the key men through the center on their side: Courtois, Sergio Ramos, Casemiro and Benzema.
Six times this season that quartet have started together in LaLiga, six times they have won. Only one of the other half a dozen matches has ended in victory.
While Casemiro did grab a goal, this was a particularly special outing for Benzema, who edged out Roberto Carlos in the most Madrid appearances by a foreign player (528).
1 – Karim Benzema will become the non-Spanish player with the most appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions (528), surpassing Roberto Carlos (527). Monsieur. #RealMadridAtleti #ElDerbi pic.twitter.com/31fbPZBBoH
– OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 12, 2020
Atleti regrets that Lemar is lost
Last week, Lemar scored his first club goal since April 2019, but on Saturday he returned to his former frustrating form in LaLiga.
The French international came off the bench at half-time but was unable to create a single opportunity and missed Atleti’s clearest opportunity with one of his two shots.
Whats Next?
Madrid will quickly return to action at home to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, while Atlético will play the Copa del Rey against Cardassar the following day.
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