Atletico digs into Madrid's wound and does a favor for Barca

BarcelonaOnly seven matchdays of the League have been played, but Barça already has a six-point lead over Real Madrid. While Hansi Flick's side wins, enjoys itself, and convinces on the pitch –on Saturday with a new triumph at Sevilla's ground (1-3)–, José Mourinho cannot seem to find the key to making a team play that has a lot of quality, but does not know how to translate it into the game. On Sunday, they fell at the Metropolitano and suffered their second defeat in the League. Atlético de Madrid took advantage of a penalty and a sending off of Huijsen to take the lead on the scoreboard, and the final 2-1 could have been wider if Courtois and Rüdiger had not prevented it.

The initial embrace between Diego Pablo Simeone and José Mourinho was the only show of affection the Madrid derby had. The Argentine coach assured in the build-up to the match that he "admired" the Portuguese manager. Friends off the pitch, but enemies when the ball starts rolling. Everyone expected an intense duel between two teams that do not stand out for attractive football, and the referee, the Madrid-born Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias, wanted to impose his criteria from the start to prevent the match from getting out of control. This meant that Simeone did not take long to see the first yellow card.

Only five minutes had passed when the Atlético de Madrid coach was cautioned for protesting, in an ostensible manner, an action involving Arda Güler. The Metropolitano also did not take long to play its part, and the whistles became louder and louder, whether it was to unsettle Real Madrid or to complain about some refereeing decision. On the other side, Mourinho and his bench did not hold back, and also protested intensely for various actions. No one wanted to lose any battle.

Atlético de Madrid does not waste Huijsen's gift

The whites asked for a red card for Cuti Romero for a stamp on Bellingham, for which the Englishman had been shown a yellow. Ortiz Arias reviewed the play on VAR and rectified his decision. He did not send off the Argentine centre-back, but rather took the card away from Bellingham to show it to Romero. Identity confusion. This, however, was not the only time the referee went to the screen. Just as the second half began, Huijsen brought down Giuliano Simeone inside the box after grabbing his arm, and Ortiz Arias did not hesitate to blow for a penalty. Initially, the Madrid native showed a yellow card to the Spanish centre-back, but after consulting the video assistant referee, he sent off the white footballer.

Alejandro Grimaldo did not fail from the eleven meters and Mourinho reacted immediately with a double substitution. The Portuguese did not flinch and replaced Vinícius and Arda Güler –one of Madrid's most outstanding players– to bring on Rüdiger and Diomande, who started on the bench again. It did not work for the white team, which saw how, shortly after, Jonathan David sent a cross from Giuliano Simeone to the back of the net, having gotten behind Marc Cucurella.

The Metropolitano turned into a party. After the 5-2 the previous season, the 'matalassers' experienced another magical night in a derby. A joy that only stopped, momentarily, when Julián Álvarez entered, whistled at and without the fans' forgiveness after the stir there was in the summer due to the Argentine's desire to sign for Barça. A parenthesis before seeing how Courtois, with a great save, and Rüdiger, on the goal line, prevented the third for the red and whites.

The happiness of the locals contrasted with the bitter faces of the white team. Despite trailing on the scoreboard, Carlos Espí –author of two goals in four matches played–, Endrick or Brahim Díaz, watched the 90 minutes from the bench. Bernardo Silva –a signing stolen from Barça and Atlético de Madrid– did not enter until the 81st minute and with the score at 2-0, he crossed a free kick for Rüdiger to narrow the gap in the final stretch. A goal, however, that had no consequences, as Real Madrid heads into the international break immersed in a crisis. The play is not arriving, but neither are the results, and with only seven matchdays played, Barça already has a six-point lead in the La Liga standings over the white team.