Atletico expose Real Madrid's illusion of starting the season

Real Madrid suffered a 2-5 defeat against Atletico.

The previous victories brought a sense of security, but also left doubts: were Xabi Alonso and his team still not properly tested? The Madrid Derby gave a cold answer. Facing a spirited Atletico Madrid, all the flashy facade that Real Madrid had tried to build quickly collapsed with a score of 2-5.

Simeone writes the script, Real is helpless

Diego Simeone entered the derby of round 6 of La Liga on the evening of September 27 with a clear script, and his students performed it perfectly. While Atletico Madrid pressed fiercely, exploiting every gap, Real Madrid seemed to disappear from the field. The white team was like a broken toy, trembling before the red-white storm without any support to hold on to.

The individual performances of Kylian Mbappe and Arda Güler were fleeting, but not enough to cover up the weakness of the team. The defense, which had been praised in the early matches of the season, was exposed for its fragility.

The confused Dani Carvajal, the naive Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras, created a “triangle of death” for Real Madrid. This collapse did not only come from individual performance, but also reflected the disunity in the entire system.

Atletico Madrid deserved to win.

If Atletico Madrid were led by the well-matched Barrios-Koke duo, Real Madrid were in chaos. Xabi Alonso put his trust in Jude Bellingham but left Mastantuono out, a choice that was quickly exposed as a mistake.

The decision to replace Güler early further showed the young coach's confusion. While Diego Simeone used Giuliano, Nico and Sorloth as drills to continuously pierce Madrid's defense, Alonso was almost helpless, with no plan to correct.

In particular, Huijsen and Carreras were a real “disaster” pair. They let Sorloth escape easily, without anyone marking or blocking, allowing this tall striker to comfortably finish. When the defensive chains continuously collapsed, Real Madrid had no support to defend.

The biggest difference in the derby lies in the concept of the collective. Atletico Madrid showed cohesion, discipline, and precise calculation down to the last detail. Seemingly ordinary players became important links in the Simeone machine, combining will and quality.

Atletico Madrid played better than Real Madrid in the Spanish capital derby.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, relied on individual brilliance. But when individuals weren't enough, the whole system collapsed. At the end of the game, they sent nearly five players forward, but the midfield completely disappeared.

It was not the kind of possession football that had dominated them in previous rounds, but a lifeless struggle. Even more worryingly, Real Madrid had lost their usual pride.

The undeniable distance

The Madrid derby opened up the gap between the two teams from the same city. While Atletico showed their tactical and mental strength, Real Madrid showed their true colors: an incomplete team, too reliant on a few individuals, and especially a coach who is inexperienced in turning things around.

The difference was not just in goals, but also in temperament. Atletico entered the game with unwavering confidence, playing the Simeone style: stubborn, fiery, but also calculating. Real Madrid, on the other hand, played as if they were being swept away, from a fragile defense to a loose midfield, and a chaotic attack.

The face of Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso is exposed.

For Xabi Alonso, the derby was not only a defeat, but also a bitter lesson. He showed his immaturity by choosing the wrong personnel, reacting slowly and not being able to come up with a solution.

A few rounds ago, Alonso was praised for helping Real Madrid get off to a solid start, but now he is at the center of a storm of criticism. A defeat can be forgiven, but the way he lost is what worries fans.

Real Madrid cannot live in illusions forever. The Madrid Derby – where “Los Blancos” suffered a 2-5 defeat – exposed everything: from the lack of cohesion, the immature defense, to the coach’s limited ability to adjust tactics. If a new direction is not found soon, failures like this will repeat.

The Metropolitano witnessed not only a victory, but also a naked exposure. Atletico Madrid showed the strength of the collective, while Real Madrid was immersed in the chaos of individuals and wrong strategy. In that moment, people understood that all doubts about Real Madrid's easy start were answered. And the answer was bitter: everything was just an illusion.

Source: https://znews.vn/atletico-lot-tran-ao-anh-khoi-dau-mua-giai-cua-real-madrid-post1588831.html