Atletico Madrid 3-1 Real Madrid: 5 Talking Points as Simeone's side take spoils in derby | La Liga 2023-24

Real Madrid suffered the first loss of their La Liga campaigns against archrivals Atletico Madrid in a 3-1 defeat on Sunday, September 25.

The hosts made two changes from their 1-1 draw against Lazio in the Champions League, with Jose Gimenez and Koke coming in for Axel Witsel and Pablo Barrios.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, were dealt a major blow when it was announced that Vinicius Jr., who was expected to make a return from his injury, was out with a stomach issue. Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, and Fran Garcia came into the side that beat Union Berlin midweek.

It was a terrible start for Ancelotti's side, going down 1-0 in just the fourth minute. Samuel Lino's teasing ball into the box was headed into the back of the net by former Real striker Alvaro Morata.

It soon became worse for the visitors, with Antoine Griezmann doubling Atletico's advantage from a cross from Saul Niguez.

Kroos managed to pull one back for Real Madrid with a brilliant long-range effort. He controlled a clearance before unleashing an effort, leaving Jan Oblak no chance.

Real started the second half poorly as well, with Morata doubling his tally on the night. He found himself unmarked with a cross from Saul and headed home from six yards out to make it 3-1.

They soon almost had a fourth, with Mario Hermoso's header hitting the bar.

Los Blancos looked to get back into the game but were unable to penetrate Atleti's defense as the game ended 3-1. Here are five talking points from the game.

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#5 Real paid the price for starting both halves poorly

Real Madrid looked out of sorts in the initial period of both halves, which ended up making the difference. Atleti went up 2-0 inside 20 minutes in the first half.

While they eventually did pull one back later, another poor start in the second half saw Morata score his second within minutes of the restart.

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#4 Alvaro Morata had a stellar outing

Alvaro Morata had a clinical performance in front of goal. The 30-year-old, who began his career with Real Madrid, came back to haunt his former club.

He did well to glance home a header to break the deadlock before heading another one home to bag his brace.

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#3 The loss of Vinicius Jr. and other questionable selections

Star winger Vinicius Jr. was expected to make a comeback against Atletico following a hamstring injury he suffered against Celta Vigo last month. However, an illness ruled him out of the game, and his absence was felt.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti also puzzled fans by choosing five midfielders in the starting lineup. Jude Bellingham was given an advanced role, but he was unable to produce much against their city rivals.

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#2 A strong result for Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid have had an up-and-down start to their season. They have had some great moments, including a 7-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, which was followed by a 3-0 loss to Valencia.

They were also closing in on a win over Lazio in the Champions League before conceding a late equalizer to the goalkeeper. However, they produced a great performance against Real, and the win lifted them into fifth place.

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#1 A shocking first loss for Real Madrid

Real Madrid began their La Liga campaign with five wins out of five, but Los Blancos needed late goals in multiple games to get results. Bellingham came up clutch in games against Celta Vigo and Getafe, as well as midweek in the UCL against Union Berlin.

Their luck eventually ran out as they were beaten thoroughly by Atleti tonight. They are now third in the table and will be looking to get back on track midweek against Las Palmas.