The Madrid Trilogy concluded with an unexpected turn of events in its final scene. Over the course of three weeks, three derbies were played on three different stages in three distinct competitions. Real Madrid emerged victorious in the Super Cup, while Atlético Madrid triumphed in the Copa del Rey. However, in the league, Real’s dominance was once again established and they seemed to have regained their power. In a dramatic turn of events, Marcos Llorente, who comes from a legacy of men who made history while wearing the white uniform, scored a header in the 93rd minute, granting their arch-rivals a thrilling late equalizer. As he ran towards the corner with his arms raised to the sky, he was pursued by players in striped shirts.
Episodes I and II had taken longer than expected to determine a winner, while Episode III did not have any extra time and resulted in a fierce battle with no clear victor. The first two parts had produced a total of 14 goals, thrilling and intense matches that lasted 120 minutes, ending in scores of 4-2 and 5-3. However, the last episode only had two goals. Despite this, Carlo Ancelotti’s team was able to secure a two-point lead at the top of the table, with a 10-point difference from Atlético. Surprisingly, it was the 100 supporters of Diego Simeone’s team, located in a small section of the north stand, who were celebrating at the end.
At the moment when it appeared finished, Real Madrid’s midfield had dominated and impressed, but Memphis Depay managed to pass the ball and Llorente was there to tie the score 1-1. Madrid’s initial lead was gone, and the narrative had completely changed. It seemed that an unexpected hero would emerge: Brahim Díaz, who had scored a goal in Saudi Arabia by outrunning Jan Oblak and curving the ball into an empty net, opened the scoring in this game. He was not expected to play at all and only found out he was starting minutes before the game began.
Vinícius Jr experienced discomfort in his neck before the game and was substituted. The Bernabéu Tannoy made an announcement four minutes before kick-off that Joselu would be starting in place of the Brazilian. However, when the team came out, it was actually Díaz who was on the pitch. By the time Vinícius sat on the bench, hoping that the painkillers he took would allow him to play, his replacement had already launched an attack on Atlético’s goal as Madrid started off strong.
The Díaz attempt, occurring at three minutes into the game, was not their initial shot on goal.
Jude Bellingham successfully played the ball between Mario Hermoso’s legs and quickly made a run towards the goal, scoring only a minute later. Shortly after, Eduardo Camavinga took a shot that went over the bar. At this point in the game, Atlético was struggling to maintain control and had not yet gained possession in Madrid’s half. Even their star player, Antoine Griezmann, had yet to touch the ball.
On his initial attempt, he successfully delivered a brilliant pass to set up Álvaro Morata, but Andriy Lunin was able to make a quick save using his right hand. However, on his second attempt, he was immediately stopped. It seemed that Atlético had managed to withstand the early pressure. Yet, just as they were settling in, they unexpectedly conceded. Two deflected passes from Díaz and Lucas Vázquez – the first off Saúl, the second off Koke – unintentionally created the perfect opportunity for Díaz, who found himself one-on-one on the edge of the six-yard box. He skillfully controlled the ball and lifted it past Oblak for a goal.
Rodrigo Riquelme’s well-placed cross curved in towards the goal, giving Axel Witsel a chance to quickly tie the score. However, Lunin made an impressive leap and stretched out his body like a star to push the ball wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Stefan Savic’s header narrowly missed the far post from a mere three yards.
This was becoming quite enjoyable. Rodrygo missed the goal after passing with Díaz and Vázquez, who then had the following opportunity. Given permission to move forward, the Atlético defenders anticipated him to pass the ball across, but Vázquez decided to take a shot instead, which hit the side of the net.
Llorente provided a pass to Saúl, who narrowly missed a header. Hermoso nearly scored from a precise cross by Rodrigo de Paul, but Rodrygo had been closely marking him. In the beginning of the second half, Atlético believed they had tied the game with Savic’s header from a Griezmann corner. However, Saúl was in front of the goalkeeper on the goal line and in an offside position.
Bypass the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
The Atlético team was attempting to find a way to catch up, however, opportunities were scarce. Interestingly, the most promising chance occurred on the opposite side of the field, as the match became more open and Madrid’s four midfielders asserted their dominance.
Bellingham requested a penalty after being pushed by Savic; Fede Valverde led a charge down the right, creating a chance for Rodrygo to secure the win, but his shot went directly to Oblak; Díaz showcased some brilliant footwork, tricking Hermoso with a nutmeg and evading Witsel before narrowly missing the goal with his shot.
Afterwards, he was quickly replaced, causing the Bernabéu crowd to erupt in applause. It seemed like it was going to be his moment, but instead he had to sit on the sidelines and witness the dramatic finish of the Madrid Trilogy.
Source: theguardian.com
