Vinicius Junior scored twice as Real Madrid edged Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a pulsating derby to remain close to La Liga leaders Barcelona.
After Barcelona narrowly beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0, Madrid kept the gap to four points by overcoming Diego Simeone’s side at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Atletico went ahead in the first half through Ademola Lookman, but Vinicius and Federico Valverde struck early in the second half to give Madrid the lead. Nahuel Molina equalised with a stunning long-range effort before Vinicius scored again to secure the win for Los Blancos.
Valverde was sent off late in the game for fouling Alex Baena, but Madrid held on to claim victory in Alvaro Arbeloa’s first derby as coach since taking over in January. The win capped a successful week for Arbeloa, who also saw Madrid eliminate Manchester City from the Champions League last 16.
The match started at a frantic pace, with Valverde hitting the post early and Andriy Lunin, filling in for the injured Thibaut Courtois, making a crucial recovery after fumbling Marcos Llorente’s shot. Vinicius had two early attempts blocked by Giuliano Simeone in the Atletico six-yard box.
Atletico took the lead in the 33rd minute with Lookman finishing a slick team move. Real Madrid responded quickly in the second half: Brahim Diaz was fouled in the box by David Hancko, allowing Vinicius to convert the penalty in the 52nd minute. Three minutes later, Valverde intercepted a Jose Gimenez pass and scored to put Madrid ahead.
Molina’s spectacular strike levelled the game for Atletico, but Vinicius netted again from a Trent Alexander-Arnold assist to restore Madrid’s lead. This marked Vinicius’s 10th goal in his last 11 matches across all competitions.
Julian Alvarez came close to equalising for Atletico, but Lunin’s post denied him. Arbeloa introduced Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe as substitutes, though neither had much impact. Madrid were forced to defend after Valverde’s foul on Baena resulted in a red card—a decision the hosts contested but could not overturn.
In stoppage time, Alexander Sorloth had a chance to draw Atletico level, but Lunin saved his header to preserve the win.
