Atlético put 5 past Madrid in dominant derby win
Atlético Madrid overturned a deficit to defeat unbeaten Real Madrid 5-2 in a fiercely contested Madrid derby at the Metropolitano on Saturday. Julián Álvarez starred with a hat-trick, including a penalty and a free-kick, as Atlético secured a dominant victory that marked a significant shift in local bragging rights.
Robin Le Normand opened the scoring early for Atlético with a precise header in the 14th minute, but Real Madrid responded strongly with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler to take a 2-1 lead. Alexander Sørloth’s equalizer in stoppage time before halftime set the stage for Álvarez’s decisive contributions early in the second half. The striker converted a penalty in the 51st minute after a foul on teammate Nico González, then curled a free-kick past Thibaut Courtois 12 minutes later to put Atlético 4-2 ahead. Substitute Antoine Griezmann completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Atlético, trailing Real by nine points prior to the match after six La Liga rounds, launched an aggressive, high-tempo approach to press their rivals. Sørloth was a constant threat upfront, twice forcing saves from Courtois before his crucial header leveled the score. Despite Real’s technical prowess and sharp attacking play led by Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, Atlético’s resilience and tactical discipline under Diego Simeone turned the game around.
Álvarez’s performance has further enhanced his reputation as a prolific forward, showcasing composure under pressure, clinical finishing, and set-piece accuracy. His combination with Sørloth and the creativity of players like Koke and Giuliano Simeone gave Atlético a multi-dimensional attacking edge. For Real Madrid, the defeat exposes defensive vulnerabilities and marks a rare setback in their unbeaten league run.
The victory is an important statement by Atlético Madrid in their pursuit of the league title and reasserts their status as serious challengers under Simeone’s management. For Álvarez, this landmark performance solidifies his role as a key figure driving Atlético’s attacking ambitions and positions him as one of La Liga’s most in-form forwards early in the season.