Alvarez double sparks Atletico comeback to stun leaders Real Madrid 5-2
MADRID :Julian Alvarez scored twice as Atletico Madrid came from behind to thrash city rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a pulsating derby on Saturday that handed the LaLiga leaders their first loss after a perfect start to the season.
The thrilling encounter at a raucous Metropolitano stadium, with nearly 70,000 fans on the edge of their seats, saw Atletico fight back from 2-1 down to claim a memorable victory that lifted them to fourth place with 12 points. Real Madrid remain atop LaLiga on 18 points, two ahead of Barcelona who have a game in hand.
Atletico's aggressive start paid off when Robin Le Normand opened the scoring with a header in the 14th minute, but Kylian Mbappe burst through to level with an unstoppable strike from close range in a quick counter in the 25th minute, with Arda Guller netting a volley from a Vinicius Jr cross 11 minutes later to put the visitors in front.
Alexander Sorloth's header in added time before the break gave Atletico a boost and they regained the lead five minutes into the second half when Alvarez converted a penalty after Guler's high boot clipped rival Nico Gonzalez on the face inside the box.
After Alvarez extended their lead in the 64th minute with a sublime free kick into the top corner, substitute Antoine Griezmann sealed the win in a quick counter in added time that set the Metropolitano on fire, with the crowd jumping and singing in ecstasy.
It was Atletico's first win over their city rivals since January 2024 and the first time they had scored five goals against Real Madrid in 75 years.
The stunning victory provided a big boost for Diego Simeone's side, who had struggled early on, with just one win in their first six matches in all competitions despite sky-high expectations following the club's huge summer investment.
After suffering a last-gasp defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in their Champions League opener last week, Atletico managed to recover with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga midweek.
Saturday's statement victory should lift the Atletico fans, who were starting to question their long-standing boss Simeone, now in his 14th season with the club and without a trophy 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 six wins in their first six league matches, were humbled by much superior rivals who dominated the game and exploited a glaring weakness against the high balls, as Atletico´s first two goals came from crosses.
"It was a bad loss and we must learn from it," Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso told a press conference. "We were not good enough, made too many mistakes but it's one of those losses that came be helpful moving forward. It is still early in the season and there is a lot ahead of us."
