The latest match of round 6 of La Liga (early morning of September 25 - Vietnam time) is also the most notable match, when Atletico Madrid hosted Real Madrid. This is also Real Madrid's first big challenge of the season.
Atletico were underrated for their inconsistent form in the early stages, but with Koke's return from injury, coach Diego Simeone returned to his strong defensive and counter-attacking philosophy.
But this season, instead of the traditional 4-4-2, he has chosen a 3-5-2, with Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata playing the highest.
On the other side, coach Carlo Ancelotti is very hopeful of Vinicius Junior's return, but the Brazilian player is not in the best physical condition due to stomach pain. With the nature of the derby, the Italian strategist chose experienced players - Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to start together, with a bit of a surprise when pushing Jude Bellingham up to play alongside Rodrygo in the 4-3-1-2 formation.
A new idea on the attack front, but Ancelotti did not ensure the best quality defense. Fran Garcia has the ability to support attacks but is not highly appreciated for his experience.
2 quick goals conceded in the 4th and 18th minutes Morata and Griezmann both scored with a header, partly due to Garcia, when he was well-ordered but did not warn his teammates about the opponent's movement.
Real Madrid depend on the organization of Kroos and Modric, as well as the youth of Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde in midfield but they have created few opportunities.
On the contrary, determination was an important factor in helping the home team maintain the game, launch the ball effectively and the score could have been 3 goals away if Kepa Arizabalaga had not excellently saved the goal in the 30th minute.
Kroos' moment of brilliance with a decisive finish in the 35th minute brought hope to the Royal team. In the 44th minute, Camavinga put the ball into the net but the goal was disallowed due to an offside by Antonio Rudiger.
The focus at the beginning of each half was still a problem for Real Madrid, when in the first minute after the break, Morata once again headed the ball from Saul Niguez, raising the score to 3-1 for Atletico.
Reclaiming a fairly safe distance, the home team completely prioritizes defense, so even though the hateful neighbor attacked tirelessly until the end of the match, the score could not change.
Empty-handed in the first test of the season, Real Madrid also lost the top spot to Barcelona. They were even pushed down to 3rd place, because another Catalan representative, Girona, also has 16 points like Barcelona. Atletico (10 points) rose to 5th place after 6 rounds.
Atletico will visit Osasuna in round 7 in midweek, while Real Madrid will return home to Las Palmas.
