Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid clash temporarily suspended as Atleti fans throw objects at Thibaut Courtois
Atletico Madrid's ongoing match with Real Madrid has been suspended temporarily after objects were thrown at Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The derby, which is taking place at the Wanda Metropolitano with Atleti hosting, has been hard-fought, with just one goal scored.
Vinicius Junior was the provider, as he lifted the ball towards the far post where Eder Militao was waiting unmarked. The defender kept the ball under control before rifling it towards goalkeeper Jan Oblak, with a deflection helping to put it in the back of the net.
The goal was scored in the 64th minute, and soon after, play had to be paused, with Atleti fans behind Courtois' goal, throwing objects at the Real Madrid goalkeeper. After a series of complaints to the match officials, referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer asked the stadium PA to warn the crowd.
The situation did not change, and after the referee spoke with the managers of both clubs, the match was temporarily suspended around the 68th minute. Atleti manager Diego Simeone walked towards the crowd, along with some players, asking them to calm down.
It took approximately ten minutes for the game to get started again, with the players returning to the pitch and the crowd fairly calm. Both players did a quick warm-up before the match restarted with Courtois taking a goalkick, while the timer reset to the 68th minute.
Carlo Ancelotti warns Real Madrid against making mistakes in Atletico match
Ahead of the Madrid derby, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti warned his players against making mistakes when they face Atletico Madrid. Notably, both of Real's defeats last season came at the hands of their local rivals.
However, Ancelotti made it clear that the squad learned from those defeats. He said to reporters ahead of the game (via Reuters):
"It's obvious that we have to avoid the mistakes of last year. That learning could be useful for tomorrow's game. It is a difficult stadium. I think Atletico have improved a lot, they've signed good players and I think they'll fight until the end for this League with us and with Barcelona."
"Our team have been more united, more effective, and tomorrow is a very important test... It will be an entertaining match, hard-fought, because there is a lot of quality in both teams."
Real Madrid will end the La Liga gameweek in second place, irrespective of their result in the match against Atletico Madrid. However, they will look to reduce the gap between themselves and Barcelona, who sit in first, from four points to just one.