Real Madrid survived a tense derby battle with Atlético Madrid, claiming a narrow 3-2 victory to keep pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga, though their performance left plenty of questions.
The hosts had to come from behind after Ademola Lookman struck in the first half, finishing off a well-worked move to give Atlético the lead.
Despite a bright start that saw Federico Valverde hit the post early on, Real struggled to assert control, with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin forced into key saves from Marcos Llorente and Giuliano Simeone.
Real found their response after the break. Vinícius Júnior leveled from the penalty spot after a foul on Brahim Díaz, before Valverde capitalised on a defensive error to fire Los Blancos ahead.
However, Atlético refused to back down. Substitute Nahuel Molina produced a stunning long-range strike to restore parity, punishing Real’s inability to manage the game.
The turning point came shortly after Trent Alexander-Arnold entered the pitch. His incisive pass set up Vinícius, who cut inside and curled home what proved to be the decisive goal.
Drama continued late on as Valverde’s impressive run ended abruptly when he was sent off for a reckless challenge on Alex Baena, leaving Real to see out the closing stages with 10 men.
Atlético nearly made them pay, but Julián Álvarez struck the woodwork in a final push for an equaliser.
The win trims the gap at the top after Barcelona’s earlier victory, but Real will know they must improve if they are to sustain a genuine title challenge.
