Atletico achieved a historic 5-2 victory over Real Madrid on the day Julian Alvarez delivered an outstanding performance.

29/09/2025 07:52:00 SportScoop

Atletico began the season unevenly, facing the derby with skepticism, yet they overwhelmed a shocked Real Madrid right from kickoff, led by Julian Alvarez.

Diego Simeone triumphed tactically, fully stifling the opposition. Julian Alvarez displayed high-level brilliance and reclaimed a debt from the 2024-25 Champions League.

A historic derby

Sometimes football is not just about goals but like punches in a boxing match. The Metropolitano turned into a ring for over 90 minutes, where two fighters threw every blow to knock each other out. In this derby, all traditional tactics were abandoned for an evenly matched battle. In such contests, experience often prevails. Simeone dominated Xabi Alonso, who has yet to face his first major challenge as Real Madrid’s coach.

After a streak of 7 consecutive wins (6 in La Liga), Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid showed they are still learning the "new playbook," new maps, and new structures. Consequently, they easily crumbled against Simeone’s "ancient blueprint," fueled by an unusual attacking hunger. Atletico almost continuously pressured Real Madrid, not allowing the white shirts to breathe, except for brief flashes from Kylian Mbappe, Arda Guler, and Vinicius who scored 2 goals.

Facing their city rivals, Simeone’s squad elevated their performance beyond what they had shown this season—where early advantages often disappeared. They might have even risen several levels. Atletico staged a masterclass drama, with Real Madrid gradually fading away. And when you have a Julian Alvarez in peak form overshadowing even Mbappe, no blow can bring you down. Atletico devoured their opponents, scoring 5 goals, possibly more, while Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season. This was a result unseen since 1950. Painful, humiliating. The match ended with Mastantuono’s desperate shot flying into the stands, a reaction that earned the young player a yellow card.

Mastantuono was the one who sacrificed his position as Xabi Alonso sought to overcome his first major challenge of the season. He viewed the derby as a contest for the experienced, thus starting Bellingham—who was not crucial during the winning streak—for the first time since his shoulder surgery. The plan failed.

Julian Alvarez shines in the derby

""The powerhouse Atletico

Unlike Xabi, Simeone can be a provocateur, innovator, or even a madman, but he decided to start Sorloth—a No. 9 not suited for hold-up play. Previously, budget issues were used as an excuse after derbies. Not anymore. With nearly 400 million euros spent over two years, Atletico is a true giant. They started exactly like that: full of energy, pressing high, earning corners from the first minute.

It took only 3 minutes to see why Simeone trusted Sorloth. To avoid Alonso’s high pressing, the tactic was to play directly to the Norwegian striker. Hancko executed this, placing him one-on-one with Courtois with 30 meters of space. But Sorloth hesitated, and Militao managed to recover. After 10 minutes of intense pressure, Real Madrid gradually regained possession but lacked sharpness. Bellingham clearly showed tension and was out of rhythm. Just as "Los Blancos" seemed to recover, a decisive blow fell.

After repeatedly sending high crosses, Giuliano delivered a gentle ball into the 5.5-meter box. Courtois stood frozen, Le Normand leapt to head simply. Madrid was still asleep, while Atletico soared fueled by the opponent’s dream. The visitors had to rely on individual moments. Just one pass from Arda Guler, following Lenglet’s mistake, allowed Mbappe to break free and score on his first shot. The three goals this season from that duo have become a formula.

The equalizer slowed the game down, which Atletico did not want. While the red and white team pushed forward, Vinicius exploited Le Normand’s error and crossed for Guler to score. The usual cold-blooded Madrid. But that was all. Atletico immediately delivered more critical strikes. After Koke’s free kick—aged 33 years and 262 days—Sorloth jumped higher than Huijsen and headed the ball in during stoppage time. Eight of Atletico’s last ten goals against Madrid have been headers.

The second half restarted like a new game. After Julian Alvarez’s corner, Nico was struck in the head by Guler. Penalty. Alvarez converted it successfully, unlike his miss in the Champions League or the error in the draw against Mallorca a week earlier. Madrid was again sluggish, and Atletico exploded. Guler, representing the freshness Alonso brought, tired and was only a shadow of himself compared to the first half. Alonso made changes, but they were ineffective.

Atleti dominated, Courtois saved a one-on-one chance against Sorloth. However, seconds later, he became a spectator to Alvarez’s masterpiece free kick. The right-footed inside-of-the-foot shot, resembling a penalty strike, drew an artistic curve. Alvarez avenged successfully, becoming the first Atletico player in 17 years, since Simao, to score a direct free kick in the derby. Madrid was stunned, while "Cholo" injected energy into every player. No one lost a duel. Alvarez ran tirelessly until he left the pitch in stoppage time, receiving applause from the stands.

Julian Alvarez’s spirit was carried on. Alex Baena punished Valverde’s mistake with an assist for Griezmann to seal the 5-2 result. A "little hand." It was only the second time in Alonso’s career that his team conceded 5 goals.

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