Atlético Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid: Rivals share the spoils in LaLiga 2019-20

It was a humid evening at the Wanda Metropolitano, and the fixture was intense from the word go as Thibaut Courtois, former player for Diego Simeone, was whistled in less than 30 seconds.

The Madrid Derby ended in a stalemate as neither side managed to break the deadlock. Rather than a game of scintillating attacking maneuvers, it was a robust defensive display from both sides, along with fiery on-field battles such as Casemiro vs Thomas Partey that entertained in equal proportions.

A bleak first half

The Portuguese teenager had a below-average outing

In the first half, the momentum swung in favor of either team like a pendulum. The opening spell of the game was under control of Simeone's troops, with 19-year old recruit João Félix having the best chance after being released by Diego Costa, firing it wide.

The teams implemented a high press, which saw a lot of ball retrievals. The play through the middle of the pitch resulted in acres of space for the wingers and full-backs, exploited nicely by Kieran Trippier of Atlético Madrid in particular.

Atlético Madrid continued to create chances and cause panic in the final third, when Partey neatly teed Félix for a shot at goal, which he fired wide yet again.

Los Merengues, however, were denied by a good save by an outstretched Jan Oblak, when Toni Kroos volleyed in a shot at the right bottom corner. That was the closest Real Madrid came during the opening 45 minutes.

Poor finishing and resilient defending ensures a goalless second half

Karim Benzema's header looked to give Real the lead until Jan Oblak made a spectacular save

If the first half was unspectacular in terms of offensive production, the second half was pretty much a similar story, albeit with the tempo clearly having risen by a notch or two.

Ángel Correa's introduction at the start of second half in place of Vitolo injected some spark in Atlético's game. He was set up for a header and all he had to do was power the ball on target, eventually skying the effort. He held the ball for his teammates to get more involved.

However, as was the case in the first half, Real Madrid grew into the game after a fine spell by their cross-city rivals. In the 57th min, Nacho won the ball in Atlético's half and delivered a cross that found Gareth Bale. The delivery evaded everyone, and all Gareth Bale had to do was to shoot it on goal, only to hammer it over the bar.

The best chances of the 90 minutes, however, came during the final quarter of the match. Saúl Ñíguez, re-positioned to the left-back spot after Renan Lodi was substituted, rose highest to glance Koke's corner from near-post. The shot was just inches wide as Courtois was left staring at the ball.

Real Madrid were not far behind, as Nacho's convincing performance continued, setting up Karim Benzema for a header. He successfully leaped to get enough power on the header, which was incredibly saved by Jan Oblak. It saved the blushes for Atlético Madrid in front of their own home crowd.

Diego Simeone was an animated figure on the sidelines.

The commitment and desire of the players to leave everything on the pitch was evident when Diego Costa covered for the full-back during a Real Madrid attack in stoppage time.

In a nutshell, it was an enthralling game. Although it did not produce any goals, it was a match that lived upto its billing. In the end, a draw was a fair result even though Diego Simeone would have fancied his players to win on their own turf.

With this draw, Real Madrid are the only unbeaten side in LaLiga, and they continue their streak at the top of the table with 15 points, one point clear of second-placed Granada and third-placed Atlético Madrid.

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