Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid: 5 Talking Points as Madrid derby ends in meek draw | La Liga 2024-25

A closely contested encounter between the two sides saw neither unable to take advantage as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid played out a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Saturday, February 8, at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The hosts' injury issues continue to plague them, especially on the defensive side. Their only change from last time out was forced as Raul Asencio came in for Antonio Rudiger.

Diego Simeone, meanwhile, made four changes to the side that earned a win over Mallorca. Javi Galan, Jose Gimenez, Rodrigo De Paul, and Antoine Griezmann came in for Reinildo, Robin Le Normand, Koke, and Alexander Sorloth.

The visitors enjoyed a few good moments in a largely quiet first half as they looked to sit off the ball and play on the counter. Half an hour into the contest, Aurelien Tchouameni was adjudged to have fouled Samuel Lino in the box, giving Atletico a penalty. Julian Alvarez stepped up and converted with ease, opening the scoring in the 35th minute.

Chasing the game, Real Madrid looked a much improved side in the second half. They tied it up early in the second as some good work from Rodrygo down the right led to a shot from Jude Bellingham. The midfielder's initial effort was blocked, but it fell to Kylian Mbappe, who slotted home to make it 1-1 in the 50th minute.

The hosts came close on a few more occasions as Bellingham hit the woodwork and Rodrygo missed a presentable chance. However, Atletico Madrid held firm as the two sides shared the spoils. The result sees Los Blancos hold onto the top spot and maintain their one-point lead over Los Rojiblancos. Meanwhile, Barcelona will be happiest with this result as their deficit to the summit is cut to five points (with a game in hand) following their win. Here are the talking points:

#5. Jan Oblak steps up crucially

After a silent first half that saw Los Blancos fail to register a shot on target, they picked the pace up in the second and attacked with greater ferocity. Oblak was up to the task, however, and made eight saves to deny Ancelotti's men all three points.

#4. A tale of two halves for Real Madrid

The hosts may look back at this fixture and wonder why they could not play in the first half like they did in the second. With barely any threat going forward and down a goal, they came out with intensity after the break. Notably, the front three, along with Bellingham, really got going, causing all sorts of problems for the Atletico defense.

#3. Penalty call causes further controversy

The build-up to the game was largely overshadowed by Real Madrid's ongoing issues with the refereeing in La Liga. The club have made public calls to the league to improve the standards, but it came to the fore yet again. A seemingly innocuous incident between Tchouameni and Lino saw the on-field official take his time at the monitor before awarding the spot-kick.

#2. Kylian Mbappe continues his rich vein of form

Mbappe has firmly silenced his critics with his ongoing purple patch in front of goal. The Frenchman bagged his 16th of the league campaign with a poacher's finish and is now just two off Robert Lewandowski for the Pichichi. In all, he has 21 goals and three assists in 33 games this season.

#1. The title race opens up further

Barcelona's prayers for the game to end in a draw were answered as the three sides are now separated by just five points. Real Madrid are currently in the lead but the side's injury troubles could cost them dearly. Their city rivals have played some pragmatic football, but questions remain if their defensive mindset can be enough. Finally, Hansi Flick's side have been excellent going forward but have blown hot and cold times, especially against the teams lower down in the table. With 15 games to go, the race for the league title promises to be an exciting one.