Object-throwing chaos halts Atlético de Madrid vs Real Madrid in tense derby showdown

And this latest edition did not disappoint in terms of intensity in the derby pitting Atlético de Madrid against Real Madrid. But, true to form, other issues arose off the pitch. A match which ended in a tie of 1-1 at the Cívitas Metropolitano, with goals by Militão and Correa saw supporters go through a rough battle that was suspended for 20 minutes because of objects thrown onto the pitch. The draw was a good result for Ancelotti but one that did not leave a sweet taste.

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Control and chances

Control and Opportunity Evenly matched from the first minute, the chances did arise for both, but none materialized. Courtois, always sure, had his first test at nine minutes with a shot from Julián Álvarez, although he saw the class of the Belgian goalkeeper. For his part, Oblak was also decisive, especially in a shot by the rocket of Valverde at 17 and another by Bellingham at 35. First half finished goalless, but with a feeling of something great bound to show up.

The seriousness of Real was left for the second half. Until, finally, the goal arrived in the 64-minute mark of play. From a rehearsed free kick, Modrić fake-defended the wall with a short pass to Vinicius Junior. As speedy as ever, the Brazilian crossed to the far post where Militão controlled and finished with class. Off Marcos Llorente and in, finally the ball settled in the back of the net. It seemed Real Madrid finally got the cushion it needed, but the story was far from over.

The beat of the interruption

With 69 minutes played, this beautiful game took a turn for the worst. A person started throwing objects into Courtois' area of action, first forcing referee Busquets Ferrer to stop the game. After two warnings over the stadiuim public addres system, the game was finally suspended. Players and supporters alike sat around waiting for the game to restart for 20 minutes.

He added later, "It was the right call by the referee. We needed to stop the game. Nobody liked the interruption, but it had to be done."

The frustration of the late equalizer

Until then, Real Madrid was leading the game, but the suspension had interrupted the rhythm of the match. Italian technician refused, however, which influenced his team alone, "It influenced both teams equally. We changed some things in the dressing room and came back. Due to the suspension, we did not disconnect".

Agonies of the late equalizer Just about when Real Madrid sealed what should have been a big win, Atlético struck deep in injury time. During the 91st minute, Correa took advantage of a perfectly threaded pass before thumping the ball beyond Courtois. As it were, relief and jubilation fell upon the attending Atlético fans. For Real Madrid, the victory was well and truly slipping through the fingers. 

Ancelotti, however, was cold in the post-match press conference: "When you're ahead with five minutes left, you just have to do one thing: defend. We did that very well for most of the game, but Atlético managed to pull off a great move and scored." The Italian coach is always balanced with his words, and the result didn't take his optimism away: "A draw here can still be positive. We were very close to winning, but Atlético is a strong team with a lot of resources. We'll keep pushing forward." But in this, essentially a draw, tension and drama both on and off the pitch showed these two teams, when the play came to an end, still remain fierce rivals.