Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético (4 Mar. 2025) Game Analysis

Real Madrids Brahim Diaz scored another half the winner when the hosts edged neighbors Atlético Madrid 2-1 in a scary first leg of their Champions League round of 16 draw on Tuesday after Julián Álvarez had canceled Rodrygo’s opener.

It was a stuttering capital between bitter rivals that sometimes seemed to play in itself and seem to maintain some energy for what is likely to be a convincing return leg of Atlético’s Metropolitano Stadium next week.

The hosts started on fire when Rodrygo scored a fine opening four minutes after kickoff, but Atlético slowly entered the game, and Álvarez equalized with a fantastic strike in the 32nd minute.

Real Madrid got the winner in the 55th through Brahim, who worked his magic to find a small pocket with space inside a crowded box and split a low, angled strike inside Jan Oblak’s father Post.

“I think we always had the balance throughout the game, despite going down a bit after their equalization, but at any time we can find a goal with the talent we have and that’s what we did,” Brahim told the Spanish TV Station Movistar Plus.

“Everything is still open in a tie. It’s good that we won at home, but it’s far from over. This is the Champions League and every little thing you do make a difference.

“The goal was good, it helped us to seize an important victory on another magical evening at Bernabeu. But there is still the second stage.”

Brahim’s goal gave Real Madrid The edge of a hard -fought clash with Diego Simeones Athleti, which dominated the procedure for large stretches of the match and could easily finish a better result if they had the most of their chances.

---

“It’s not a good result. We were looking to pull or win,” Simeone said after the game. “I feel the team was competing well. I think we could have done more with the two goals we admitted. The team is competing. From Sunday we start thinking about the return bone, which will be tough, we play at our stadium with our fans.

“Our fans push us, they give us energy we need our fans Wednesday.”

The hosts started better and Rodrygo gave them the lead after a unique care of Federico Valverde That he took in his step before shooking into the box past two defenders and curling a brilliant left foot strike into the far corner.

Despite Real’s early dominance, visitors succeeded in smoothing the rules of the game by slowing the pace of the game and began to create chances through Samuel Lino and Giuliano SimeoneA constant threat that runs up and down on the channels.

Atlético found the equalization after Álvarez fought past Eduardo Camavinga To the left before you cut into the box to give themselves a better angle and loosen a strike that curled past Thibaut Courtois and went in from the distant post.

Visitors took control of possession and were comfortable passing the ball around in the middle of high booing from the sold-out Bernabeu audience, which did not hide their frustration.

Athleti began the second half with Rodrigo de Paul, who wasted a chance to give them the lead in the 53rd minute, a costly miss, when two minutes later Brahim worked his magic to put genuine back in front with a goal out of nothing.

Surrounded by three opponents, Morocco International worked some space with fast feet and left Atletico Center-back José María Giménez On the ground, before asking the ball inside the far corner, Oblak gives no chance.

Simeone seemed comfortable with the scoring line and replaced the striker Antoine Griezmann with centerback Robin Le Normand And change to five back to make sure Real’s lead was not bigger ahead of next week’s mouth -watering other stage.

“If it was difficult today, you can imagine how difficult it will be on Wednesday,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after the victory. “But we have a little advantage and we will try to go through. It will be difficult, not much will change.”