There is a phrase in Spain: second parts were never any good. Sequels, they say, invariably fail to live up to the original, but this time it did. Like The Godfather Part II, the second episode of the Madrid Trilogy, that run of three derbies in three weeks and three different competitions, was even better than the first, however implausible that had appeared. When these great rivals met six days ago, there were eight goals, 120 minutes of fun finally won 5-3 by Real; now, on a wet night back in their home city where they’re supposed to be, there were another 120 minutes, far wilder than those, six goals, and revenge. This time, Atlético Madrid struck back.
They were 1-0 and 2-1 up, through Samu Lino and Antoine Griezmann. Twice Atlético led and twice they found Real Madrid, the adversary that just refuses to die, coming back at them, all those fears and that trauma returning. A Jan Oblak own goal and a Joselu diving header meant that yet again the derby went to extra time: that’s eight now, every single final or knockout game these teams have played in the Diego Simeone era. There, a glorious hundredth-minute goal from Griezmann, dashing past Vinícius and smashing the ball above Andriy Lunin, made it 3-2, running away with his shirt off.
Still no one knew how this would end. Still Atlético resisted, still Madrid came. They even had the ball in the net once more, through Dani Ceballos, but Jude Bellingham was judged offside. And then when most of those watching could bear no more, with seconds remaining and the tension gripping everyone, Rodrigo Riquelme escaped to curl in the winner, right on midnight.
The explosion shook this place, and there in the final scene, was Diego Simeone all dressed in black and soaked sprinting down the touchline through the rain to celebrate so much more than just the passage into the next round of the Copa del Rey. This had a touch of the exorcism about it; it had been a classic. A proper match for a proper rivalry.
It may not have been as entertaining, as open as the Super Cup, but this was more edgy, more real, more meaningful. And, ultimately, much better. A bit more blood and a lot more noise. In Saudi Arabia it had been “cold,” Madrid striker Joselu had said; in front of 70,000 fans, this wasn’t. It mattered much more, a night of tension, drama. And tonnes of talent.
Not least from Bellingham, superb throughout, who almost opened the scoring with a wonderful moment on 10 minutes. Somehow he held off Koke, slipped inside Axel Witsel, escaped Rodrygo De Paul and, near the six-yard box, took aim. Diving in, José Maria Giménez got just enough of a touch on it to send the ball spinning upwards and off the bar.
Five minutes after that Oblak made an exceptional double save, when Atlético were caught by a deep free kick and Vinícius spun Koke so easily to run through. The move slowed but Madrid kept the ball, worked it back to the Brazilian and he clipped in a lovely ball behind the defence to Rodrygo. Near the penalty spot, Rodrygo controlled, turned and shot. Oblak somehow reached it with his right hand and was up in a flash to close down Vinícius, dashing for the rebound.
Atlético wanted the ball, keen to play from deep and they did take the game to Madrid, or try to. An Alvaro Morata overhead kick and a De Paul header were easily saved by Lunin. Madrid didn’t seem to mind, happy to run: there was a clarity and intent about them when they advanced, which as the half went on they were doing increasingly often. Rodrygo in particular was a problem for the home side.
It was then, though, that Atlético scored. Rodrigo de Paul curled in a pass aimed for Morata, but Antonio Rüdiger got to it first. The ball looped up off his head and, sliding in at the far post, Lino guided past Lunin. The game became bitty. Bellingham knocked over Lino and picked him up again, convinced there was nothing wrong, and the confrontations were increasing. So were the fouls, one of which brought the equaliser, a moment of comedy right on half time. A long Modric free kick dropped into the six-yard box, where Oblak came to catch and deflected the ball backwards off his glove and into his own net.
The second half began with Rodrygo striking into the side-netting and some gorgeous footwork from Bellingham: gliding past three men inside the area, he almost set up Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga. But it was Atlético who took the lead with a goal almost as silly as the one Madrid had scored. Marcos Llorente had, it seemed, tried to turn the ball into the path into Griezmann, but it hit Camavinga and became the perfect “assist” skidding and spinning all the way across the area. From almost the same spot Oblak had occupied, Lunin misjudged it, leaving Alvaro Morata to put it into an open net.
As Madrid fought back. Brahim did superbly on the right to pull back for Rodrygo, inside the area. His shot, deflected, came back off the bar. Atlético were ever more on edge: all the pain of the past, all those times Madrid had hurt them, breaking their hearts and ripping hope from their hands, clung to them. Atlético could have ended it, which just made it worse and made Madrid’s comeback feel even more predictable. A clever angled pass from Lino almost gave Griezmann the third, Llorente escaped but couldn’t quite lift over Lunin to the teammates waiting free behind him, and Morata had a clear chance to end it but the keeper saved, a hero in waiting.
Then the inevitable happened. Bellingham provided it, with a superbly weighted ball to the far post; diving in to head, Joselu scored the equaliser with his first touch. This was going to extra time, of course, 30 more minutes to this epic.
This time, it was Griezmann’s time, Atlético’s moment, a classic completed as Episode II reached The End.
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