Atletico stun Real Madrid with historic 5-2 derby win as Alvarez shines
Julian Alvarez struck twice as Atletico Madrid roared back to crush Real Madrid 5-2 in a dramatic LaLiga derby at the Metropolitano, ending their rivals’ perfect start to the season. The electric atmosphere inside the stadium, packed with nearly 70,000 fans, fueled Diego Simeone’s men as they overturned a 2-1 deficit to claim a statement victory that lifted them to fourth place on 12 points. Despite the setback, Real Madrid remain league leaders on 18 points, two ahead of Barcelona, who have a game in hand.
Atletico started aggressively and were rewarded in the 14th minute when Robin Le Normand headed home. Real hit back quickly as Kylian Mbappe equalized with a fierce finish before Arda Guler’s volley from a Vinicius Jr assist put the visitors in control. Just before halftime, Alexander Sorloth’s towering header leveled the contest, giving Atletico renewed belief. Five minutes after the restart, Alvarez slotted home from the penalty spot after Guler’s high boot caught Nico Gonzalez in the face, turning the tide.
Alvarez then produced the moment of the match in the 64th minute, curling a stunning free kick into the top corner, before substitute Antoine Griezmann added the fifth in stoppage time, sending the Metropolitano into raptures. The emphatic victory marked Atletico’s first win over their neighbors since January 2024 and the first time they had scored five past Real in 75 years.
The result came as a massive lift for Simeone’s side, who had endured a difficult start to the campaign despite significant summer investment. Following a Champions League defeat at Liverpool and a narrow LaLiga win over Rayo Vallecano, this landmark triumph eased pressure on the Argentine coach, now in his 14th season without silverware in four years.
"It's a very special day," Alvarez told DAZN. "We knew how important this match was because it was a derby and because it would take points away from one of the teams at the top of the table. We were in control of the game, they scored their goals very quickly but the team never stopped believing. Now we need to continue along this path, improving the things we need to improve."
Real Madrid, who had conceded only three goals in their first six league matches, were undone by Atletico’s aerial dominance and sharp transitions. Manager Xabi Alonso admitted his side were second best. "It was a bad loss and we must learn from it," Alonso said. "We were not good enough, made too many mistakes but it's one of those losses that can be helpful moving forward. It is still early in the season and there is a lot ahead of us."
SportsLigue