Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid: La Liga – live reaction | La Liga

Sid Lowe’s report will drop in here shortly, but I will wrap up and say thanks very much for joining this live blog. It was certainly an evening full of drama and controversy – as we’ve come to expect from high-profile La Liga grudge matches!

If Real Madrid play like they did in the second half tonight when they visit the Etihad on Tuesday, you fear for Manchester City – especially given the current form of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Conversely, it took Real a good while to get going tonight, they looked vulnerable to the counterattack, and Carlo Ancelotti was in an agitated mood for much of the evening. Is the pressure telling on the veteran manager?

Former City star Julian Alvarez got the player of the match award this evening.

How it stands after full-time:

1. Real Madrid – 50 points from 23 games

2. Atletico – 49 points from 23 games

3. Barcelona – 45 points from 22 games

It’s all over and it’s as you were at the top of La Liga.

Real Madrid will feel aggrieved, they probably did enough to stretch their lead to four points, but a controversial penalty and a stubborn Atleti defence was enough to earn a point.

The second half saw an improved Real display and a goal from the in-form Kylian Mbappé but Los Blancos couldn’t unearth the key second breakthrough. Advantage Barcelona?

90 mins + 2: Courtois this time makes a vital save – although Correa was flagged offside after being played through. It was nearly the perfect sucker punch from the visitors.

Not long left now.

Stoppage time: Just three minutes have been added on. Can Atletico hold out for a very useful point here?

If they do, they’ll have Jan Oblak to thank.

90 mins: Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius are all just hovering up front now, like three hungry lions waiting patiently for their prey. Will one of them get a chance to pounce?

Mbappe is slipped through but Oblak narrows the angle quickly and there’s no time and no way through.

88 mins: Brahim Diaz for Rodrygo is another Real sub. Time is running out for Ancelotti’s side if they want that four-point cushion at La Liga’s summit.

86 mins: Modric has already been dictating Real’s play from the pivot position, probing for that vital opening. Garcia is penalised for a soft foul in a key area to alleviate some pressure on Atleti.

84 mins: What price a Jude Bellingham late winner here? It’s that kind of territory now. The next goal will surely win it and Real have an army of potential matchwinners on the field.

82 mins: Inches wide from Rodrygo! It was brilliantly set up by Vinicius, who exhibited his trademark fancy footwork on the left.

81 mins: No, the changes are going to be in midfield, with Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga coming on, replacing Ceballos and Vázquez. It’s Camavinga’s first league appearance since 3 January.

Alexander Sørloth is on for Alvarez in Atleti’s final sub.

79 mins: Will Ancelotti make a change or is he satisfied with the players out there on the pitch? Could Brahim Diaz or Endrick make a difference?

78 mins: Angel Correa has replaced De Paul for Simeone’s side. A slightly attacking move? The visitors certainly haven’t given up trying to win this – and they’re getting the odd chance on the break.

75 mins: A great run darting down the right by Alvarez has Real worried for a second. The Argentinian is Atletico’s biggest threat on the counter. Oblak is their main form of defence at the other end.

74 mins: The Real Madrid crowd are showing their appreciation for academy products Asencio and Fran Garcia. Both have been impressive.

Oblak saves again, from Rodrygo’s free-kick, but the flag is up for a foul this time.

72 mins: It’s rinse and repeat from Oblak on the other side now, parrying Vinicius’ near-post shot up and away. The Atletico goalkeeper is a one-man wall at this stage.

71 mins: Oblak saves once again, this time from Rodrygo who tried to catch him out at the near post, sniping an effort goalwards.

70 mins: It’s another tame shot from a Real Madrid player, as Mbappe scuffs a left-footed effort on target, but at a snail’s pace, and Oblak collects.

At the other end, Tchouameni steps in to cut out Llorente’s cutback.

69 min: Fran Garcia is having a terrific game at left-back for Real. He was picked ahead of Ferland Mendy for this one and is totally justifying his selection.

68 mins: Bellingham is making Real tick, dropping into the pockets and linking play, before making dangerous runs into the box to get on the end of crosses. He’s got the lot.

Tchouameni meets a corner head-on but Oblak doesn’t have to move to save it.

67 mins: You cannot take your eyes off this game now. Surely it won’t stay 1-1.

65 mins: Delightful play from Bellingham to dance away from defenders and lob it over looking for Mbappe … eventually it came for Ceballos, whose shot was blocked. Atleti then tried to counter at the other end, but Molina fired over.

Triple substitution for Atletico: Molina, Koke and Reinildo replace Simeone, Galan and Lino. Is this a change of system for Los Rojiblancos? Back to 4-4-2?

62 mins: I’ve just seen another live blog refer to Bellingham as a “former Birmingham City midfielder”. Sometimes that’s hard to fathom – given he’s now basically a striker/No 10 for the biggest club in the world. What a journey.

61 mins: Big chance for Giuliano Simeone but he slips at the vital moment, trying to stretch to reach the knockdown from Alvarez. Suddenly it opened up for Atletico but the chance disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

There’s so much space on the pitch now.

58 mins: A penny for Simeone’s thoughts now? He’s wearing a deeply concerned look with a frown as dark as his suit.

57 min: It’s bouncing now inside the stadium as Oblak saves from another Bellingham header. That was neatly worked, Vinicius finding Vázquez on the overlap, who crossed for Bellingham – the header was just too close to the keeper.

55 mins: Atleti need a period of calm now, you’d think – not that Simeone teams tend to remain calm for long. They’re storming forward again and have won a corner, which Alvarez will swing in from the right …

After the initial clearance Griezmann skies a shot well over.

53 mins: Mbappé’s goal was a real striker’s finish, the type to justify him playing as the No 9 in this Real team.

Bellingham looks to be playing higher up in this second half mind you, almost as a second striker alongside the Frenchman.

Off the bar! Real Madrid smell blood here and they’re pushing hard for another goal. That was Bellingham this time, stealing in at the near post and heading onto the crossbar.

Kylian Mbappé fires home and Real are level!

Rodrygo was the creator down the right and sought Bellingham with his pull-back. The England international’s effort was blocked but only as far as Mbappé – who swept it home. Cue roars from the Bernabéu crowd.

50 mins: Galan is booked for tugging back Rodrygo’s shirt. I suspect we may see a few Atletico bookings in this second half.

47 mins: There’s nothing surprising about the pattern this game has settled straight back into: Real probing and prowling, trying to pin Atletico back; the visitors holding the fort and waiting for the odd chance to counter.

Mbappé tries to batter his way through bodies, but is superbly marshalled by the Atleti defenders.

Second half: Right let’s see if Real can make amends in the next 45 minutes. Or are Atletico about to go top of La Liga?

The home side get us back under way.

Another email on the penalty, this time from Christopher Burke:

I can think of some perplexing decisions by VAR in the past seven years (oh God has it already been that long?) but in terms of taking absolutely nothing and turning it into Something, I think that penalty decision is the worst I’ve ever seen.

This is quite the stat.

An email from Tim Stappard has dropped:

A pen that ridiculously soft at home against Real! Heavens above they’ll be sending letters to the Spanish FA before we know it.

…

Half time: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico.

The half finished with a booking for Clement Lenglet and a Fede Valverde free-kick that was blasted straight into the wall.

Well, well, well. A controversial penalty, converted by Julian Alvarez, is the difference after 45 minutes of a tense and tetchy Madrid derby. Real haven’t been at the races in truth, but they can still feel aggrieved by the goal that separates the sides. You feel there’s more drama to come in the second half at the Bernabéu.

I’ll get to one or two of your emails and messages during the break.

Stoppage time: We’re into four minutes added onto this first half.

Atletico Madrid hold a precious lead which, as it stands, would send them top of La Liga.

44 mins: Ironically, the referee has let a lot of marginal fouls go unpunished tonight. Apart from the penalty, of course.

Galan ghosts forward and shoots on his right foot, but it’s curled over the bar by a distance.

43 mins: Bellingham shoots into a crowd of bodies, with Real piling on the pressure at the end of the half … again, however, they conceded a counterattacking opportunity, with Lino tackled in the box following a lung-busting run.

It’s end to end now!

41 mins: Real are defending with five or six every time they lose possession – so many attackers are stuck ahead of the ball. That’s giving plenty of heart to Atleti to surge forward in the hope of nicking a second.

39 mins: Can Real respond before the break?

Atletico speed forward on the counter but De Paul takes a very heavy touch to allow Asencio the chance to wallop it clear.

38 mins: In English football, talk of refereeing decisions and standards dominates the media agenda week after week. It’s no different in Spain of course, but you cannot think that penalty would have been given in the Premier League.

Real Madrid’s protestations continue, largely through the ever-vocal Jude Bellingham, but the fact is they now trail 1-0 in a must-not-lose Madrid derby.

Atletico have done very little in terms of attacking in this game, but they have something to cling onto now. Diego Simeone will be delighted.

Julian Alvarez makes no mistake from 12 yards. A cute dinked effort down the middle beats Courtois!

PENALTY! Goodness me, that’s an enormous call. It looked very, very soft, minimal contact from the Frenchman following through (very slightly) on Lino.

This is a huge chance for Atleti to lead.