Result: Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid
Date: 12 December 2020
Venue: Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano
Real Madrid moved within three points of Atletico Madrid at the top of the LaLiga standings with a 2-0 victory in the Madrid derby at Estadio Alfredo di Stefano on Saturday.
Dani Carvajal was recalled by Zinedine Zidane as Rodrygo dropped to the bench while Hector Herrera started ahead of Saul Niguez in the Atletico midfield.
Real came close in the 11th minute. Karim Benzema peeled off Kieran Trippier at the back post to latch on to a cross from Lucas Vazquez, but he scuffed his effort wide of the left post.
And Real were rewarded for their early dominance when they took the lead with a quarter of an hour gone. Toni Kroos put his delivery from a corner on the right on the money. Casemiro rose highest in the box to connect with a header that he directed away from Jan Oblak into the right corner of the net.
Atletico had a gilt-edged opportunity to equalise through Thomas Lemar. Real cleared the corner, but the visitors recycled possession. Marcus Llorente was played into space down the right inside channel and fired a low ball across the face of goal. It travelled all the way to the back post for an unmarked Lemar, but the Frenchman could only steer his effort wide of the left post.
Madrid doubled their lead in unfortunate circumstances for Oblak as he scored an own goal. Kroos' free-kick was cleared as far as Dani Carvajal and he went for a drive at goal from 20 yards which struck the post and richocheted off the back of Oblak and back in.
With 15 minutes to go, Trippier worked an offload into the feet of Saul Niguez, who turned and lined up a left-footed strike at goal that sailed wide of the target.
Soon after, Thiabult Courtois denied Saul with a fine stop. Renan Lodi angled a cross deep to the back post where Saul got behind Ferland Mendy. He powered a header towards goal, but the Real keeper reacted to turn it away from goal.
Oblak denied Vazquez a third Madrid goal. Benzema offloaded into the right inside channel for the Spaniard, who shot first time. His effort had power and accuracy, but the Atletico keeper turned it over the bar as the encounter finished 2-0 to the home side.
