On the touchline, Diego Simeone was in tears. Julian Alvarez just helped Atletico Madrid take a 4-2 lead over Real Madrid with a free kick to defeat Thibaut Courtois, completely changing the situation of the derby in the direction of Atletico's favor. These 3 points will probably mark a promising start to their new season.
For Simeone, things seemed too much to bear. He rubbed his face, almost bowed down, then smiled, rubbed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. He tried to control himself, but could not hide his tears - a manifestation of relief, joy and relieve pressure.
In the blink of an eye, on the biggest stage, against the toughest opponent, Atletico's difficult and struggling start disappeared. At Metropolitano, they brought a historic explosion, as if nothing was impossible.
The match ended in a score of 5-2, and if Simeone's reaction was still not convincing enough, this is a remarkable number. In his 14 years leading Atletico, he has never seen his side score five goals against Real Madrid in an official match.
"It's really touching. This season started with many difficulties. A lot of effort has been made, from many people behind the scenes. Their work is amazing," Simeone admitted when asked about the tears.
Xabi Alonso also experienced intense emotions. His first Madrid derby as coach not only ended in defeat, but also a painful lesson. "This defeat is painful. We lacked preparation," he admitted.
Before the Madrid derby, Real Madrid under Alonso started the season almost perfectly, winning all matches. They are increasingly strong in position and confidence in Kylian Mbappe's excellent form. However, Alonso now admits: "We have to learn a lesson from what happened."
This type of failure is unacceptable at Real Madrid, even for a newly trusted coach like Alonso. On the contrary, a player who has definitely regained his form is the MVP of the derby, Alvarez. His performance proves that everything can change in just one week.
Last Sunday, Alvarez sadly sat on Atletico's bench, being withdrawn early by Simeone in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Real Mallorca. There was information that he was "always me" when he was substituted, but Alvarez affirmed that he was only disappointed with himself.
The five goals in the next four days made Alvarez smile continuously. "This match is very special. We understand its importance. It was a derby, and we needed three points.
At the beginning of the season, we did not have good results, but today we played well. We create more chances than any other team and make the most of them," the Argentine striker shared.
Simeone has often called Alvarez "the best player we have". "He's very, very good. He trains hard and is dedicated. We have to take care of him," the Argentine captain emphasized.
When asked to clarify the meaning of the phrase "taking care of him", Simeone explained: "We have to give him the tools to score goals". In simple terms, Atletico's collective play needs to be built to support the team's star.
Before the derby, things had not happened like that, when the gap between the two teams reached 9 points after only 6 rounds. Real Madrid are leading with 6 consecutive wins, while Atletico, with 3 draws and 1 loss, are in the middle of the rankings. A Real win at Metropolitano would seem like a knockout for Atletico. However, instead, it was Atletico who were revived in the season.
In all 28 derbies under Simeone, there have been no such an exciting match. Even the previous 3 derbies in the tournament all ended with a score of 1-1. In the round of 16 of the Champions League last season, Real had to rely on a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
That night, Alvarez's slip in a penalty shootout cost Atletico, creating a decisive moment and changing the direction of the season, leaving a long disappointment.
This week, Alvarez has brought the opposite effect. Atletico were led 2-1 by Rayo Vallecano before Alvarez scored twice in the first 8 minutes of the second half. The match ended with a tight hug from Simeone and Alvarez on the field, marking the importance of this moment.
