Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid: 5 hits and flops as Karim Benzema strikes late to force a share of the spoils | La Liga 2020-21

Hit: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema scored his sixth goal in the Madrid derby.

Cometh the hour, cometh Karim Benzema, who stepped up to the plate against Atletico Madrid and rescued an important point for Real Madrid.

After knocking on Atletico Madrid's door for long - he mustered a game-high eight shots in total - the Frenchman found the back of the net with his last.

Five defenders. One @Benzema. 🙇‍♂️#AtletiRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/9STwkgw83r

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) March 7, 2021

A neat one-two with Casemiro saw the French striker race through the heart of Atletico Madrid's defence, streaming past a bunch of red shirts, before thumping home into an empty net.

Benzema has struggled for consistency this season, but in the big games, he hasn't failed to deliver.

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Flop: Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid)

Ferland Mendy struggled to cope with Suarez and Correa.

With most of Atletico Madrid's players performing impressively, it was not the case with Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, whose performances made him stick out like a sore thumb.

The young Frenchman was solid in attack, but defensively, he endured a tough time, as Luis Suarez and Angel Correa ran rings around him with their link-up play.

In fact, Mendy was nowhere to be seen during Suarez's opening goal, as he was high up the field while neglecting his defensive responsibilities. He also got dispossessed six times, more than anyone else in the game.

It was a day to forget for Mendy.

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Hit: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

Thibaut Courtois was impressive against his former employers.

Frankly, we could've gone with either of the goalkeepers here, but given how the match eventually played out, the Real Madrid custodian gets the nod.

After failing to stop Suarez for Atletico Madrid's opener, Thibaut Courtois recovered well, making a few key saves in the second half to prevent the hosts from extending their lead.

Courtois to the rescue 💪 #AtletiRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/793EuoY8Am

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) March 7, 2021

He twice denied Suarez within a span of 60 seconds, showing excellent anticipation and strong hands, before denying the Uruguayan a third time a while layer.

Thanks to the exploits of Courtois, the scoreline remained only 1-0 till the dying moments. The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper's hard work eventually paid off, as Real Madrid stole a point at the death.