Real Madrid fell 2–1 to Atlético Madrid in a derby marked by poor defensive support, a lack of midfield control, and a costly red card for Dean Huijsen. Thibaut Courtois kept the scoreline respectable, while several substitutes offered more than the players they replaced.
Thibaut Courtois: 8.5. Made five saves and was the main reason this did not become a more damaging scoreline. Real Madrid repeatedly needed him to rescue them.
Denzel Dumfries: 4. Struggled to defend the far post throughout the match,
and his passing was equally poor. Offered little security in or out of possession.
Ibrahima Konaté: 7. Made two enormous goal-line clearances. Much of Real Madrid’s defensive structure had already broken down before Atlético’s attacks reached him, leaving him to deal with problems that originated further up the pitch.
Dean Huijsen: 5. A really good performance undone by a reckless decision as the last defender. His intervention conceded a penalty and earned him a red card, fundamentally changing the match. The good work before that moment cannot outweigh the cost of it.
Marc Cucurella: 6. Struggled at times, but the circumstances matter. He was frequently left to deal with multiple players, including Kang-in Lee and Simeone, with little help from his teammates. Led the match in tackles and had far too much defending to do on his own.
Fede Valverde: 5. An anonymous performance in a match that demanded considerably more from him. His defensive awareness was poor, and he did little to help Real Madrid establish control.
Aurélien Tchouaméni: 4. Neither protected the defence adequately nor brought composure to the base of midfield. Struggled badly to impose any control on the game.
Arda Güler: 5. Uncharacteristically sloppy. Alex Baena appeared to get under his skin, though that was only part of the problem. His passing lacked its usual precision, he looked nervous, and he lost possession 13 times.
Jude Bellingham: 6.5. One of the few players who consistently competed. Won the ball back well in midfield and led the team in key passes, but too often found himself without the support needed to connect midfield and attack. The effort was there; the collective structure around him was not.
Vinícius Júnior: 4. Left Cucurella exposed with several lazy defensive sequences and provided no end product at the other end. His lack of attacking output continues to be a concern this season, and his work without the ball made an already difficult assignment harder for his left-back.
Kylian Mbappé: 5. Produced a couple of promising bursts with the ball, but little came of them. He was also frequently isolated when possession reached him, and Real Madrid spent so little time in Atlético’s half after the break that his opportunities to influence the match became scarce.
Substitutes
Antonio Rüdiger: 7. Entered during a chaotic stretch with Real Madrid down to 10 men. Helped navigate difficult circumstances and scored the late goal that gave Madrid a lifeline.
Yan Diomande: 7. Completed four dribbles off the bench and won dangerous free kicks, giving Real Madrid some much-needed attacking impetus. Performances like this will force Mourinho into a serious decision about his role relative to Vinícius.
Eduardo Camavinga: 6.5. A solid contribution off the bench. Made good challenges and moved the ball well, bringing some stability to a midfield that had struggled throughout.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Introduced far too late. Brought much-needed composure and quality in possession, delivered good set pieces, and registered an assist. Madrid could have used his maturity much earlier.
