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Atletico Madrid pile pressure on Mourinho as 10-man Real Madrid fall in feisty derby
20th September, 2026 08:23 PM
Real Madrid’s inconsistent start to the 2026 La Liga season took another hit on Sunday, September 20, after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first Madrid derby of the campaign.
Second-half goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David proved sufficient to see Los Rojiblancos claim a famous win against their capital-based rivals.
Potential red card calls
However, Madrid might have left the Metropolitano feeling hard done by after Atlético escaped potential red card calls during a fiery encounter.
Kang-in Lee nearly caught Federico Valverde high on his feets with a reckless first-half challenge that somehow went unpunished for the South Korean midfielder.
The incident followed an earlier flashpoint when new signing Cristian Romero left his studs on Jude Bellingham while contesting a loose ball, leaving the England star reeling in pain, the moment bringing up the recent Argentina vs. England rivalry at the 2026 World Cup.
Diego Simeone’s side struck just two minutes after the restart. Grimaldo stepped forward to slot past Thibaut Courtois from the penalty spot after Giulano Simeone was brought down inside the box by Dean Huijsen.
Huijsen sent off
The former Bournemouth defender was handed his marching orders following a VAR review, with officials deeming the challenge as denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Jonathan David then doubled the hosts’ lead in the 64th minute, timing his run to perfection to turn a Simeone cross past Courtois. The goal sent a packed Metropolitano Stadium into raptures, with Diego Simeone sprinting down the touchline to join the joyous celebrations.
Real Madrid’s late consolation arrived in the 89th minute when Antonio Rüdiger headed home from a Bernardo Silva cross. Substitute Yan Diomandé also spurned a golden opportunity late on, failing to beat Jan Oblak from close range after Atlético botched a clearance from a high ball into the box.
Following the result, Atlético have leapfrogged Real Madrid in the La Liga table, moving up to second at the expense of Los Blancos, who drop to third. José Mourinho’s side now trails league leaders Barcelona by six points.
