Goals: Real Madrid--Ronaldo 26' (penalty); Atletico Madrid--Tiago 10' Turan 76'
Recap: Ninety minutes of intensely fought football saw Atletico Madrid capture a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Saturday.
Questionable set-piece defending allowed the visitors to open the affair in the 10th minute. A towering header from Tiago just inside the six-yard box stunned a capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu. Pressure from Cristiano Ronaldo would ensue, culminating in an awarded penalty in the 26th minute. The reigning FIFA Ballon d'Or winner left zero doubts with his finish.
Despite conceding a lion's share of the possession in the second half, Atletico found their match-winner in the 76th minute thanks to a right-footed shot from Arda Turan.
Key Moment: Real Madrid had not one, but two clear-cut chances to build a lead in the first half. Unfortunately for the club, Karim Benzema was tasked to polish them off. A poor touch from the Frenchman squandered a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper. A lack of precision saw a point-blank header parried to safety. Atletico Madrid were able to stay within striking distance as a result, something the club would ultimately take advantage of.
Man of the Match: One goal, four tackles and an impressive performance from Atletico's Tiago.
Lesson Learned: Diego Simeone's transformation of Atletico Madrid is complete. Despite losing a myriad of talent during the summer transfer window, the Argentine has still managed to retain the same tenacious fight cultivated last season. La Liga is no longer a two-horse race. Atletico Madrid should be considered league contenders for the foreseeable future.
Up Next: Real Madrid remain home to host FC Basel in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, while Atletico Madrid visit Greece to face Olympiakos.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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