Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid : 5 talking points as Karim Benzema breaks Atletico hearts | La Liga 2020-21
Billed as the 2020-21 La Liga title decider, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid played out a fascinating 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano, with the visitors stealing a point late on.
The result keeps the third-placed Los Blancos five points behind Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona profiting the most from the stalemate, as they are just three points behind the league leaders, who have a game in hand.
Atletico Madrid began the game in stellar fashion, underlined their superiority with the opening goal in the 15th minute.
Marcos Llorente rode Nacho's challenge and burst through on the counter before releasing Luis Suarez with a perfectly- timed pass. The Uruguayan responded with an outside-of-the-boot finish, curling the ball past Thibaut Courtois.
Atletico Madrid controlled the rest of the first half, as Real Madrid looking bereft of ideas, although they had a potential penalty ruled out as the opening 45 minutes came to an end.
The hosts started the second half superbly and could have put the game to bed before the hour-mark, but Thibaut Courtois made some crucial saves to deny Yannick Carrasco and Luis Suarez. Jan Oblak was not to be outshone, though, making a double save off Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. as the game reached its finale.
There was late drama, though, as Real Madrid scored against the run of play, with Benzema and Casemiro sharing a 1-2 in the Atletico Madrid box before the Frenchman slammed home the equaliser to force a share of the spoils.
On that note, here are the five major talking points from a thrilling encounter:
#1 Luis Suarez hurts Real Madrid yet again
Barcelona fans may be casting a wistful eye at Luis Suarez right now, as the Uruguayan looks like a player reborn under Diego Simeone.
With 17 goal involvements (12 goals, five assists) in as many games against Real Madrid, Suarez clearly views Los Blancos as one of his favourite opponents.
Leading the line for Atletico Madrid is no easy task, but this was classic Suarez, channelling his desire to press hard and run the channels, leaving his opponents with no room to breathe.
The finish for the first goal was exquisite, and it won't be a surprise if he ends up with the Pichichi award this season. He may have to beat a former teammate for that, though.
#2 Karim Benzema returns against Atletico Madrid with a bang
It was clear where the problem was in Real Madrid's last few games, as Los Blancos struggled to deal with the absence of Karim Benzema, with Mariano Diaz and Isco being pale imitations of the real deal.
Benzema's return, though, ought to have been the catalyst for an improved Real Madrid performance.
On a historic evening for Benzema, the Frenchman struggled, looking quite rusty, as he was unable to deal with the Atletico Madrid press. He spurned a couple of great chances to score but continued to persist.
Benzema finally had his reward late on, profiting from Casemiro's excellent set-up to score an equaliser that could turn out to be crucial in the title race.
He is the man for the big moments - this being the fifth time he has scored after the 88th minute this season - the most of any player in the league.