Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Atlético Madrid in the LaLiga Madrid derby.
The collision between Arda Güler and Alex Baena early in the match, along with refereeing controversies that continued into the second half, heightened the derby’s tension.
When considering both the result and the refereeing debate, can Real Madrid’s defeat be explained by a single moment?
3-Line Summary
1. Real Madrid lost 2-1 in the derby
2. Real Madrid managed just 8 shots
3. It is difficult to conclude that the refereeing controversy alone caused the defeat
8 Shots, the Lowest Mark in LaLiga This Season
According to Diario AS’s live match coverage, Atlético Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1. Real Madrid recorded 8 shots in the match, which the report described as the lowest number of shots in a single match in this LaLiga season.
The first figure to check in the derby defeat is this 8. Even if the refereeing incidents significantly affected the atmosphere of the match, the fact that Real Madrid finished with fewer shots than usual remains evidence that its attacking play did not lead to enough attempts at goal.
However, one shot count alone cannot fully define a team’s performance. Information such as the locations and circumstances of the shots, as well as the opposing defense’s response, cannot be confirmed from this record alone. Rather than attributing the cause of this defeat solely to the refereeing controversy or solely to the shot count, it is more reasonable to examine the two factors separately.
Güler–Baena Collision Escalates from the 5th Minute
Yahoo and Goal.com reported that in the 5th minute of the LaLiga Round 7 derby, Real Madrid’s Turkish midfielder Arda Güler collided with Atlético’s Alex Baena and fell while carrying the ball. Referee Ortiz Arias awarded Real Madrid a free kick but did not show Baena a card.
As Güler was asking for a booking, Atlético manager Diego Simeone received a yellow card for protesting. The two players were involved in another collision in the 18th minute, and neither player was shown a card on that occasion, the two outlets reported.
Former referee Iturralde González assessed the moment when Baena used his knee from behind as worthy of a booking. This was an analyst’s assessment of the decision and needs to be distinguished from the referee’s actual decision made during the match.
Refereeing Dispute Continued After the Match
Diario AS’s report contained indications that Real Madrid strongly expressed its dissatisfaction with the refereeing after the derby. Jude Bellingham protested to the referee on the grounds that there should have been two sendings-off, and the report said that Real Madrid’s official X account also posted a message stating that the refereeing decisions had decided the derby.
Conversely, some opinions emerged from the Atlético side that certain incidents were not worthy of a sending-off. The teams and analysts thus reached different judgments about the same moments. What is confirmed is Atlético’s 2-1 victory and Real Madrid’s season-low shot total; the assessment that the refereeing decided the outcome remains a matter of individual interpretation.
References
- Yahoo, Report on the early collision in the Madrid derby
- Goal.com, Report on the Güler–Baena incident
- Diario AS, Atlético vs. Real Madrid live match coverage
Tags #RealMadrid #AtléticoMadrid #MadridDerby #LaLiga #RealMadridDefeat #ArdaGüler #AlexBaena #DiegoSimeone #JudeBellingham #FootballRefereeing #LaLigaDerby #RealMadridShots