Derby lost 2–1, and the fallback is familiar
Atlético Madrid 2–1 Real Madrid at the Metropolitano. Alejandro Grimaldo scored a penalty, Jonathan David got the second, and Antonio Rüdiger headed one back for you (1)(3)(9). You are fourth in La Liga on 15 points from seven games, six behind Barcelona (9)(13). The result itself hurts. What followed is what will run all week.
Mourinho brought photos to the press conference
Mourinho turned up with printed pictures of the decisions he did not like. Real Madrid called the refereeing péssima (3)(7). His line on the red cards: "São dois cartões vermelhos claros. As dificuldades que tivemos depois, onze contra dez, podemos imaginar o que seriam cinquenta minutos onze contra nove" (3). Dean Huijsen went off after a second booking, his third red in 52 games for the club (11).
Simeone fired back
Diego Simeone did not let it slide. "Precisamos ter cuidado com o que dizemos e saber respeitar os outros. Perder, perdemos todos. Mas, quando alguém ultrapassa essa linha do respeito, é perigoso. Por mais que você se chame Mourinho, Flick ou Simeone, não vale tudo," he said (3)(9). His headline version was shorter: not everything goes, even for Mourinho (9).
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Valverde out 2–3 weeks
Fede Valverde is expected to miss 2–3 weeks with a left ankle injury from Kang-In Lee's tackle (Reddit, 3). Staff sources do not expect him to join up with Uruguay for the international break (Reddit, 3). AS reports that CTA sources inside the referees' committee consider that challenge a red-card offence (11).
Vinicius: one goal, 24 shots
Vinicius Junior has one goal from 24 shot attempts across the first eight matches (10). AS called him Invisível after the derby and noted he was the first player off, in the 54th minute for Yan Diomande (4). DAZN caught Mourinho standing up from the bench and gesturing at him as he walked back after losing the ball (2).
Halftime fight in the tunnel
It went off in the catacombs at half-time. Antonio Rüdiger and Morten Hjulmand stood face to face in a mass scuffle, and two staff members were shown red cards, per the referees' report (6)(11).
Barcelona are already seven from seven
Barcelona have won all seven, scored 31 goals and sit on 21 points, including a 7–2 win over Racing Santander (13). You are on 15. From 2009 to 2026, Madrid have never won La Liga in the 11 seasons where they fell five or more points behind Barça at any stage, and you are now six back in September (Reddit).
Fan reactions
The mood is a mix of fury at the officiating and real worry about the football. One of the most upvoted posts on r/realmadrid points out the foul count, 19 to 6, and that VAR's first ever use to give a yellow instead of a red came from Cuti Romero's foul on Jude Bellingham (thread). Another thread digs into the Huijsen numbers, three reds in 52 games for Madrid after zero in 122 for Juventus, Roma and Bournemouth (thread). And the historical stat about never winning the league from five behind is doing the rounds (thread).
