Real Madrid 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Los Blancos Prevail in Madrid Derby

Real Madrid edged past local rivals Atletico 1-0 in the Madrid derby on Saturday, with Karim Benzema scoring the all-important goal. 

Los Blancos made the brighter start to the game, with Sergio Ramos wasting two glorious opportunities early on. Atletico grew into the game and Vitolo forced Thibaut Courtois into a good stop moments later. The away side continued to press forward and looked dangerous. 

Angel Correa had a wonderful opportunity to give his side the lead just before the break as he raced through on goal, but he fired his effort wide of the target. Real began the second half brightly, with Fede Valverde testing Jan Oblak early on. 

Zinedine Zidane's men moved into the lead 11 minutes into the second half, Karim Benzema tapping home a Ferland Mendy cross after a clever pass by Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian youngster saw a shot later comfortably saved by Oblak.

Despite only having a one-goal lead, the hosts looked comfortable seeing out the remainder of the game. The win means Real Madrid now move six points clear at the top of La Liga, while they can also claim the bragging rights over Atletico.

Here's 90min's breakdown of the game...

REAL MADRID

Key Talking Point

Real Madrid came into this clash three points ahead of second placed Barcelona and, as a result, they knew that a win would see them move six points clear at the top of the table - temporarily at least.

Zinedine Zidane had a number of injuries to contend with, with both Eden Hazard and Gareth Bole among those to miss out. Despite this, the Frenchman still named a strong starting lineup and the team made a bright start to the game, with the midfielders and attackers constantly interchanging and picking up pockets of space. 

However, they were soon pegged back and found it difficult to get forward and create any notable chances. As a result, Zidane made two changes at half time, bringing on two out-and-out wingers, with the intention of adding pace out wide. It worked. They quickly took the lead and Atletico didn't know how to adjust, with numerous players finding space to work in.

It may not have been Real's best performances this season, but a very valuable three points nonetheless. 

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Courtois (6), Carvajal (6), Varane (7), Ramos (6), Mendy (7), Casemiro (6), Kroos (6), Valverde (7), Modric (6), Isco (5), Benzema (6)

Substitutes: Vinicius Jr. (7*), Lucas V. (6)

Vinicius Junior

Real may not have been at their best, but they needed a player to step up and make the difference. Vinicius Junior, a half time substitute, proved to be just the man. 

As soon as he came on, Vinicius brought pace and was direct on the wing, while he also allowed Ferland Mendy to get forward and influence the game. It was the young Brazilian's fine work that led to the breakthrough, making a clever run before looking up and sliding a pinpoint pass through to Mendy. The left back looked up and played Benzema who opened the scoring. 

Vinicius continued to impose himself on the game, acting as an outlet for the midfielders. His moment of quality proved to be the difference in the Madrid derby. 

ATLETICO MADRID

Key Talking Point

Atletico Madrid came into this clash having failed to pick up a win in their last four games in all competitions. During this time, they managed to score a grand tally of just...one goal. This underlined the current problems for Diego Simeone. 

Despite the hosts making a bright start to the game, Atletico did grow into the contest and had a number of excellent chances to break the deadlock. Most notably, Angel Correa had a number of clear opportunities, but he squandered them. 

This lack of ruthlessness came back to haunt them as their rivals soon moved into the lead. From then, Simeone's men never really looked like troubling Los Blancos and in the end, it was another defeat. It was also another game without a goal. Worrying. 

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Oblak (6); Vrsaljko (6), Savic (6), Felipe (6), Lodi (6); Partey (6), Herrera (5), Llorente (5), Saul (7*), Correa (5); Morata (5), Vitolo (5)

Substitues: Lemar (5), Carrasco (5), Camello (5)

Saul Niguez 

Atletico didn't take their chances, but they were in the game. The midfield was bright, trying to close down and prevent Real from playing out. And although he may not have done anything flashy, or assisted any goals, Saul was Atletico's bright spark once more. 

The Spaniard is an outstanding talent and he helped nullify the threat posed by Carvajal, stopping him from getting forward. The midfielder was also linking up with his teammates to great effect and looked to get the attackers in at any opportunity. He may not have ended up on the winning side, but it as an assured display. 

Looking Ahead

Real Madrid next take on Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey on Thursday before travelling to take on Osasuna on Sunday.

Atletico, meanwhile, host Granada next Saturday in La Liga before facing Valencia the following weekend.