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Real Madrid battled to a thrilling win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday as Vinicius Junior scored twice in a 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos knew they needed to respond to leaders Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano earlier in the day, but things looked ominous after Ademola Lookman had put Atleti ahead at halftime after a brilliant assist from Giuliano Simeone.
But Alvaro Arbeloa’s team responded in the second period, Vinicius smashing home a penalty before in-form Federico Valverde pounced on a defensive mix-up to turn the game on its head.
Nahuel Molina blasted home a quite incredible long-range goal to make it 2-2, but Vinicius cut infield and curled home the winning goal after some superb play from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Valverde was then sent off in a contentious incident, referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero deeming him to have committed a deliberate act of serious foul play by kicking Alex Baena, although it looked as though the Madrid midfielder was trying to win the ball.
Julian Alvarez rattled the post as Atleti pushed for an equaliser, but Madrid held firm for what could be a hugely important three points.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| Real Madrid | 3 | Vinicius 52′, 72′ Valverde 55′ |
| Atletico Madrid | 2 | Lookman 33′, Molina 66′ |
Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
Referee: Jose Luis Munuera Montero
Starting lineups:
Real Madrid (4-4-2, right to left): Lunin (GK) — Carvajal, Rudiger, Huijsen, F. Garcia — Valverde, Thiago Pitarch, Tchouameni, Guler — B. Diaz, Vinicius
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2, right to left): Musso (GK) — Llorente, Hancko, Le Normand, Ruggeri — Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman — Griezmann, Alvarez
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid stats
| Real Madrid | Stat | Atletico Madrid |
| 17 | Shots | 13 |
| 10 | Shots on target | 7 |
| 2.42 | Expected goals | 1.00 |
| 52% | Possession | 48% |
| 559 | Passes | 504 |
| 4 | Corners | 1 |
| 2 | Fouls | 15 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 4 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
| 2 | Offsides | 0 |
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid highlights, key incidents
Valverde sent off
Valverde is shown a red card! Was this harsh?
Vinicius strikes again
Vinicius gets his second of a chaotic derby.
Molina golazo
What a way to equalise! Atleti are back level.
Valverde puts Madrid ahead
Federico Valverde’s spectacular form continues!
Vinicius levels
Vinicius makes no mistake from the penalty spot
Lookman strikes first
Ademola Lookman puts Atletico ahead against the run of play.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid talking points, analysis
Vinicius, Madrid dig deep to sustain title battle
After Barca battled to three points against Rayo, anything but a Madrid win today would have felt fatal to their title chances.
Heading into the international break, the Blaugrana hold a four-point lead with nine games left. The final Clasico of the league season has been scheduled for May 10, and if the gap remains the same, that match could prove decisive in this title race.
With players now heading off for the international break, this felt like a pivotal victory for Alvaro Arbeloa and his team. Had Barca extended the gap at the top, these two weeks would have weighed heavily on Madrid shoulders. As it is, they will feel confident that Barca’s lead is not insurmountable.
Oh, and the Catalans’ first game back in April? Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid upcoming schedules
Real Madrid upcoming fixtures
| Date | Competition | Match |
| Sat, April 4 | La Liga | Mallorca vs. Real Madrid |
| Tue, April 7 | Champions League | Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich |
| Sat, April 10 | La Liga | Real Madrid vs. Girona |
Atletico Madrid upcoming fixtures
| Date | Competition | Match |
| Sat, April 4 | La Liga | Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona |
| Wed, April 8 | Champions League | Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid |
| Sun, April 11 | La Liga | Sevilla vs. Atletico Madrid |
