OK, we’re going to wrap this blog up now. We’ll have a match report up soon. Thanks for reading! Bye.
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Real still have the upper hand over Barcelona, but they could have rammed home their advantage today. The injury to Pepe and the substitution of Kroos just seemed to upset their rhythm, and although they looked to have done enough, Griezmann sniffed a chance and made them pay. Well done to Atleti for not giving in, but Real will be kicking themselves for failing to win.
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The title race isn’t done yet. Real looked to have opened up a five-point lead over Barcelona after an excellent second-half display, but with five minutes left, Antoine Griezmann finished Angel Correa’s fine pass, and Atlético snatched a point. Real had been the better side in the second half, but they failed to kill the game, and they got punished. Diego Simeone celebrated at the end like he’d won the lottery.
Full-time: Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid
That’s it! And Real drop two vital points.
90 min +3 Final chance for Real, but it’s out of play for a goal kick.
90 min +2 Partey tries to go through for Atleti, but Ramos is quickly across.
90 min Four minutes of stoppage time. Maybe the substitutions of Kroos and Pepe have had a bigger impact that we might have imagined.
89 min Atleti have a spring in their step, but Filipe Luis’s pass for Griezmann is sloppy, and a chance to break is wasted.
88 min Griezmann’s goal is good news for Barcelona fans. A draw here, and Barça can draw level with Real if they beat Malaga later today. Admittedly, Real would still have a game in hand.
86 min This game looked to be meandering to the finish, but suddenly Correa found a yard of space, and his pass was razor-sharp. Griezmann’s first touch was impeccable, and he gave Navas no chance with the finish.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid (Griezmann 85)
Correa’s pass, and Griezmann finds the net! A goal out of nothing, and Atleti are level!
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84 min Good run from Carrasco on the right flank, but his cross is poor.
82 min Atleti can’t get the ball. Real look comfortable.
80 min Lucas Vazquez is on for Bale in Real’s final change.
77 min Thomas Partey is on for Torres. Time running out for the visitors.
75 min Another change for Real: Kroos off, Isco on.
74 min A brilliant overhead volley from Griezmann, and Navas beats it away! The whistle had blown for offside, but neither forward nor keeper knew. Super effort, and a good save.
73 min Bale turns sharply in the box, but his shot is weak, and it dribbles well wide.
72 min Atleti aren’t out of this, but they’d be level if Torres had taken that earlier chance. Navas did well to stay big and block, but Torres was more or less clean through, and he needed to take it.
70 min That injury to Pepe has just slightly affected the rhythm of the game. Ronaldo looks for Benzema at the back post, but Savic does well to head clear.
68 min Benzema shoots, and it’s blocked by Juanfran. The home crowd want a penalty, but referee De Burgos says no.
66 min Nope, he’s not going to be OK! Pepe goes down again, waves to the bench, and Nacho is on in his place. It was Kroos’s knee in Pepe’s chest. Painful.
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65 min Pepe’s going to be OK to continue. It looked like he caught one in the ribs from his team-mate.
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63 min Kroos collides with Pepe, and the goalscorer looks in some trouble.
62 min Atleti change: Correa replaces Saul.
61 min Godin is booked for a cynical foul on Ronaldo.
60 min Oh, Torres! That should have been 1-1. Griezmann did superbly to dribble past the defender and release his partner, and Torres went through, one on one with Keylor Navas, but he hit it straight at the goalie. Big, big chance, and Atleti should be level.
59 min Saul hits one from 25 yards. Nice effort, but it’s straight at Oblak.
56 min If this result holds, Real will go five points clear of Barcelona. Barça visit Malaga later today.
55 min Carvajal shoots from 15 yards, but he snatched at it, and it’s over the bar. Pepe, incidentally, had a lot to do on that goal, but he got power and accuracy in his header. A great finish, despite the slack marking.
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53 min That’s a terrific goal from Pepe. Kroos delivered the set piece from the right side, Pepe got free, and planted a superb header past Oblak from about 12 yards. The Atleti marking wasn’t great, though. Simeone looks anguished, but Real have deserved that: they’ve been excellent since half-time.
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GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Atlético Madrid (Pepe 52)
It had been coming!
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52 min Saul is booked for a sly handball that stopped another Real Madrid attack. Free kick for the hosts.
50 min Carvajal clips it in but Benzema misreads it, and it’s through for a goal kick. Real have begun this second half really strongly.
48 min Savic with a clunking challenge on Ronaldo. Ronaldo goes down and looks pained. No booking, though, which is perhaps a surprise – Savic was a little late.
47 min Chance for Real! Marcelo went down the left and hung up a cross for Ronaldo, who headed just wide! Ronaldo got such impressive spring in his jump, but he couldn’t quite direct the header. Now Oblak denies Benzema! Another cross, this time from the right, and Ronaldo headed it back for Benzema, but Oblak made himself big and kept it out! Another big save from the Atleti No1.
46 min We’re back. No changes from either side.
Half-time: Real Madrid 0-0 Atlético Madrid
And that’s the whistle. No goals, but that was really entertaining. Lots to enjoy, and it’s been pretty even. See you in 15 minutes for more of the same.
43 min Atleti happy to see it out till half-time. They’ve had something like 16 clean sheets in the league this season. George Graham would approve.
40 min This is really enjoyable. After a period of Real domination, Atleti are now asking the questions.
39 min Now Real give it away, and Griezmann breaks. He’s all on his own, so he takes the shot early, from 30 yards, and Keylor Navas tips it round the post! Great effort. From the corner, Godin heads just wide! Atleti look really dangerous on these set pieces.
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37 min Atletico break, and Casemiro pushes Torres. It’s a booking, and Casemiro is furious. There didn’t look to be too much in it.
35 min Torres’s touch lets him down in the Real penalty area. If he’d controlled that, he’d have had a free shot at goal.
That was a top clearance from Savic, by the way. Excellent recovery defending.
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33 min Atleti do enough to smuggle it clear, and just keep the ball. This is a welcome period of possession for the visitors.
32 min Real are on top now. Ronaldo wins another corner.
31 min What a goalline clearance from Savic! Atleti gave it up, Modric ran forward and slipped in Ronaldo, through on goal. He took his time, sized it up, and thrashed it at goal … but Savic got back to head it clear! I thought it was in. Now Oblak denies Bale! Another top save from the Slovenian.
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29 min Real Madrid just beginning to purr. That was great combination play between Ronaldo and Benzema, but Benzema just couldn’t find the gap between Oblak and goalpost.
27 min Wonderful link-up play between Ronaldo and Benzema, and Oblak pushes Benzema’s shot over the bar! Kroos plays the corner to the near post, but Bale’s header is wide.
26 min Casemiro miscontrols in his own half, and Saul is quickly on to it, but he shoots from 30 yards instead of feeding Filipe Luis to his left, and it’s miles over the bar.
24 min We’ve not seen much of Bale so far. Atleti defending well.
21 min Now Atleti win their first corner up the other end. The first ball in is cleared, but it’s played back in, and Keylor Navas just does enough to punch it clear under pressure from Griezmann. Griezmann was nearly in there.
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20 min Real’s third corner, but Casemiro fouls Godin, and it’s a free kick to Atleti.
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18 min The corner comes to nothing, and Atleti break at speed. Carrasco cuts inside and shoots, and Griezmann tries to feed on the rebound – but the Frenchman is offside. He actually hit the post with a poked effort, but the whistle had already gone.
17 min Real Madrid free kick 40 yards out. Ronaldo looks like he’s going to shoot for goal, but instead he clips it into the box, and Atleti head it clear. Now Modric shoots from long range, and it loops off Savic and behind for a corner.
15 min Atleti cough it up in midfield and Modric move forward into empty space. The first effort’s blocked, but it finds its way to Ronaldo, on the left corner of the box, and he stings Oblak’s hands with a fizzer! That was an excellent, clean hit, and a very good save from the Atleti keeper! Two good hands to push it clear.
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12 min Another free kick in a good area for Atleti, this time on the right side. Griezmann plays it in, but Ronaldo, back to defend, strains those bulging neck muscles of his and heads it clear.
10 min Lovely ball down the channel for Carrasco, and he fizzes a ball across the six-yard box, but no one can get a touch! More good counter-attacking play from Atleti.
8 min Real enjoying the lion’s share of possession in these opening minutes, but Atleti look compact in defence. They’re happy to play on the break.
5 min It’s been a nice, open start. Torres nearly gets away on the right side, but Marcelo does well to ease him off it. At the other end, Modric wants a foul on the edge of the box, but Ricardo De Burgos says no.
3 min Filipe Luis wins a free kick in a good area for the visitors. Koke whips it in with his right foot, and Saul isn’t far away from getting a touch! It whistled past Keylor Navas’s post. That was close. Actually, Saul got a slight touch – a little more meat and Atleti might have the lead.
Peep peep!
1 min We’re away. Real all in white, with that extremely chic buttoned collar, and Atleti in traditional red-and-white stripes with the blue shorts. Carvajal puts in the game’s first cross, but it’s too long, and out for a throw.
The players are out on the pitch, and the white house looks an absolute picture. It’s a full house in this magnificent 81,000-seater arena.
We’re about 15 minutes from kick-off. Nice and sunny in Madrid – about 21C. Zidane, incidentally, is taking charge of his 50th La Liga game – and he’s won 79.6% of them, which is the highest in club history (with a minimum of 50 games). Played 50, won 39, drawn seven, lost three.
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Want more? You can catch up with all the latest action from the Premier League, including Manchester City v Hull, with Barry Glendenning here:
Pretty much as expected. Real line up 4-3-3, with Casemiro alongside Kroos and Modric in midfield, and the BBC up front. Atleti are 4-4-2, as usual, with Griezmann and Torres the furthest forward. Atleti have conceded just 23 goals in their 30 matches this season – and three of them came in one game against Real earlier this season. Remember that?
Today's lineups
Real Madrid: 1-Keylor Navas, 4-Sergio Ramos, 3-Pepe, 12-Marcelo, 2-Daniel Carvajal, 14-Casemiro, 8-Toni Kroos, 19-Luka Modric, 9-Karim Benzema, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 11-Gareth Bale. Subs: 10-James Rodríguez, 13-Kiko Casilla, 22-Isco, 21-Álvaro Morata, 16-Mateo Kovacic, 6-Nacho, 17-Lucas Vázquez.
Atletico Madrid: 13-Jan Oblak, 2-Diego Godín, 15-Stefan Savic, 3-Filipe Luís, 20-Juanfran, 8-Saúl Ñíguez, 14-Gabi, 10-Yannick Carrasco, 6-Koke, 7-Antoine Griezmann, 9-Fernando Torres. Subs: 17-Alessio Cerci, 25-André Moreira, 24-José Giménez, 22-Thomas, 11-Ángel Correa, 19-Lucas Hernández, 42-Roberto Núñez.
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea
Hello and welcome
Real Madrid are powering towards another title, and this weekend’s round of fixtures could go some way towards settling the issue. With the finish line heaving into view, Real sit two points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, and victory in today’s Madrid derby could send them five clear. That gap could be too much for Barça to make up, although stranger things have happened.
Atlético are just about still in the title race, but anything less than victory here would end their challenge. They’re 10 points behind their neighbours and eight behind Barcelona, but they have won five straight in the league, and they’ve had another super year in the Champions League. But anything less than impeccable won’t wash in La Liga these days: Barcelona and Real just raise the bar so high, don’t they?
This game should have plenty of local spit and needle – and quality. Real are at full strength, the absence of Raphaël Varane notwithstanding, and although Kevin Gameiro is out for Atleti, their rock-solid core of Godin, Gabi, Koke and Griezmann are all here. And a pleasant contrast in coaches: the always laid-back Zizou and the rather less mellow Simeone.
Finally, how about this: Diego Simeone’s side have won their previous three league visits to Real – the last of which was in February last year. No other side in La Liga history has won three straight times at the Bernabeu. Can Atleti make it four?
Kick-off’s at 4.15pm local time. Join us then for more.
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Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime, catch up on the midweek action from the Primera Liga with Sid Lowe:
Midweek in La Liga, week 30, the round of games when – get this – Osasuna won but it really didn’t matter because they’re long gone. When Memo Ochoa, who has stopped more shots than anyone else in Spain, saved a penalty in Coruña but that might not matter either: Granada are still seven points from safety, their manager Lucas Alcaraz insisting before the draw with Deportivo “all that matters are bollocks” and admitting after it: “We need a win … now”; and when Sporting and Málaga met at the Molinón, Sandro Ramírez scoring the goal at one end while at the other Lacina Traoré mostly just tripped over. “Win and it’s virtually all over,” Míchel had said before and Málaga did win – for only the second time in 17 – to leave themselves eight points clear and Sporting five points adrift.
This was the round of games – squeezed in, no gap left between weeks 29 and 31, over a sixth of the season set to be played this month alone – that saw two more goals for Aritz Aduriz, the man whose career is back to front, which allowed Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde to counter criticism with calculations: 50 points and a European place above Real Sociedad. It was also the round of games that reinforced the feeling that Atlético are Atletico again, Filipe Luís scoring once more to defeat Real Sociedad. And it was the round of games that could have changed everything, but didn’t really change anything, except that the finish line drew closer – which is pretty much the story of the season so far.
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