La Liga: Real Madrid fight back to secure point against 10-man Atletico Madrid
Teenager Alvaro Rodriguez scored a late leveller for Real Madrid, with the La Liga champions coming from behind to draw 1-1 with 10-man Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby on Saturday night.
Jose Gimenez sent Atletico ahead in the 78th minute, 14 minutes after Angel Correa had been sent off for an elbow on Antonio Rudiger, but Rodriguez’s first senior goal for Los Blancos saw the hosts claim a point.
The result has left Carlo Ancelotti’s side in second spot in the La Liga table on 52 points, seven points behind leaders Barcelona, who would move 10 clear by beating Almeria on Sunday night.
Atletico brought a six-game unbeaten run in La Liga into the contest, while Real Madrid entered the match off the back of a 5-2 victory over Liverpool in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League affair.
Real Madrid had a half-chance in the third minute through Rudiger, who met a corner from Toni Kroos, but the German’s header was always dropping wide of the post.
Yannick Carrasco placed a free kick just wide of the Real Madrid post in the eighth minute, with Atletico having their first sight of the home side’s goal at Bernabeu.
Jan Oblak was then called into action down the other end to keep out a strike from Marco Asensio, who started on the right of the Real Madrid front three due to an injury for Rodrygo, before Karim Benzema turned a cross from Eder Militao over the Atletico crossbar from close range.
Oblak again had to be alert to keep out an effort from Vinicius Junior in the 15th minute, before the goalkeeper denied Rudiger from another header, with Los Blancos the team firmly on the front foot.
Gimenez, who replaced the injured Reinildo in the 23rd minute, headed a corner from his own teammate Carrasco off the Real Madrid line in the 28th minute.
Asensio then had another half-chance down the other end, as he curled one over the crossbar in the 33rd minute, with the two teams still level heading towards the end of the first period.
Saul Niguez fired high of the Real Madrid crossbar in the final chance of the first half, and the visitors also had the first opportunity of the second period, with Correa failing to make the most of a cross from Carrasco.
The home side’s first chance of the second half came for Benzema in the 50th minute, but the striker could not make proper contact on a low cross from Vinicius, before Valverde struck across the Atletico goal two minutes later, with the Spanish champions starting to work their way into the contest.
Antoine Griezmann came close to sending Atletico ahead just past the hour when he unleashed one from outside the box, with the ball just dropping past the post.
Valverde then fired just wide of the Atletico goal with a brilliant half-volley from outside the box.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 64th minute of the contest when Correa, who was only introduced at the break, threw his elbow into Rudiger’s chest during a tussle between the two players.
Eduardo Camavinga swept one over the Atletico crossbar in the 75th minute, before the visitors silenced the Bernabeu by taking the lead three minutes later.
Griezmann delivered a high ball into the Real Madrid penalty box, and Gimenez climbed higher than anyone else to head into the bottom corner of the net off the post.
Oblak kept out a powerful Aurelien Tchouameni strike in the 84th minute, before the Atletico goalkeeper made an even better save to deny Camavinga.
Los Blancos were level from the resulting corner, though, with Rodriguez heading a Luka Modric delivery into the bottom corner of the net to register his first goal for the club on his third appearance.
Oblak managed to keep out a Benzema effort in the 87th minute, before the Atletico stopper denied Tchouameni during a period of domination from the home side.
Ancelotti’s side, as expected, were the team pushing for the winner late on, but Atletico held on to secure a welcome point in their battle for a top-four finish, with the Red and Whites two points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis on the same number of matches (23).
Real Madrid will now switch their attention to the Copa del Rey, preparing to welcome Barcelona for the first leg of their semi-final next Thursday, before returning to La Liga action against Real Betis three days later.
Atletico, meanwhile, only have La Liga football to worry about for the rest of the season, and Simeone’s side will continue their domestic campaign at home to Sevilla next Saturday.
