Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid met again for the intense Madrid Derby on September 29, 2024, with forward Angel Correa of Atletico scoring in overtime to draw the match 1-1.
The Madrid Derby refers to the rivalry face-off between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, two popular football clubs that hail from the city of Madrid. The history of this intense rivalry can often be traced back to the early 1900s. Real Madrid was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, quickly escalating into one of the most prominent and successful Spanish football clubs. It was known as an elite and royal football club while Atlético Madrid, founded in 1903 as a branch of Atlético de Bilbao, was known as a club for the working class individuals. On December 2, 1906, the teams met for the first time seeing Real Madrid winning the match 2-1. The intensity of the rivalry only increased as both teams rose to prominence.
The first goal scored during the 2024 derby was scored by Éder Militão of Real Madrid, giving the visitors the lead four minutes before play was suspended in the 69th minute after fans began throwing objects onto the pitch. Atlético Madrid has been handed penalties amounting to a three-game partial stadium closure along with a monetary fine of €45,000 ($49,000) after their fans’ behavior led to the temporary suspension of the match. Fondo Sur, the stand where fans were throwing objects onto the pitch, will be temporarily closed. Atlético will also be working to ban fans involved in this disruption. Atlético coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke have both criticized Real goalkeeper and former Atlético player Thibaut Courtois, stating that his celebration of Militao’s goal provoked fans. Real Madrid was missing a key player, FIFA World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé (who is out due to an injury), so boss Carlo Ancelotti opted to bring in Croatian Luka Modrić. This strengthened the Real midfield but it wasn’t enough to dominate scoring.
Following the Madrid Derby, both Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have been left in second and third place, respectively, behind FC Barcelona. Real Madrid will now shift its focus to the UEFA Champions League, facing off against Borussia Dortmund on October 22nd. Following this, Real Madrid will face a huge clash against FC Barcelona on October 26th in the season’s first El Clasico. Atlético Madrid will also be playing Champions League matches, following the Madrid Derby, against Lille OSC on October 23rd and Paris Saint-Germain on November 6th.
Freshman Lavanya Seshasayee is a Contributing Writer. Her email is lseshasa@fandm.edu