Vinicius Jr scored a brilliant brace as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a pulsating derby at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday to keep Alvaro Arbeloa’s side within four points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona.
What was supposed to be a relatively low-key Madrid derby – with Atletico a distant fourth – turned into a five-goal thriller filled with drama, stunning strikes and a late red card that almost turned the game around again.
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Atletico struck first in the 33rd minute through Ademolo Lookman, who finished off a neat counter-attack by Matteo Ruggeri and clever full-back Giuliano Simeone.
Real responded strongly after the break. Vinicius equalized in the 52nd minute from the penalty spot after David Hancko clumsily tripped Brahim Diaz inside the box.
Just three minutes later, Federico Valverde turned the game on its head, capitalizing on a costly mistake by Jose Mario Gimenez to fire Real into the lead.
THE REAL ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP: VINICIUS
However, Atlético refused to back down. Nahuel Molina stunned the Bernabeu in the 66th minute with a thunderous strike from 30 meters that flew into the top corner to put Diego Simeone’s side back in the game.
But when it mattered, Vinicius stepped up once more. The Brazilian restored Real’s lead six minutes later with a sensational solo effort as he cut in from the left, beat two defenders and fired an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
The drama didn’t end there. Valverde was shown a straight red card late in the game for a reckless challenge on Alex Baena, reducing Real to 10 men and setting up a nervy finish.
Julian Alvarez came closest to equalizing for Atletico when he hit the post in the closing stages, but Real held firm to seal a crucial win.
“Real Madrid is always first,” Vinicius said after the match.
“I’m very happy with the performance we put in today. We were in control from the start, we conceded a goal but we kept our cool and did what we had to so our fans could go home happy,” he added.
Real started well and could have taken an early lead when Vinicius was denied by Juan Musso’s sharp tackle, while Valverde hit the post shortly after.
Vinicius was again at the center of the action in the first half, but was twice denied from close range by a superb clearance from Giuliano Simeone’s goal line.
Those missed chances proved costly as Atlético punished Real on the counter through Lookman, but the visitors showed resilience after the break to take control of the game.
The win keeps Real firmly in the title race, while Atletico, despite a spirited performance, had to contemplate another frustrating night in an inconsistent league campaign.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
23 March 2026 08:50 IST
