Atletico Madrid claimed bragging rights in the Madrid derby with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, moving above their city rivals into second place in La Liga.
The result leaves Real Madrid six points behind leaders Barcelona, who have maintained a perfect record, and one point behind Atletico.
Huijsen red card changes the game
The turning point came when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen brought down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area.
Following a VAR review, Huijsen was shown a red card, leaving Real Madrid with 10 men.
Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up to convert the resulting penalty and put Atletico ahead.
Atletico then took advantage of their numerical superiority when Jonathan David slid in to finish from Giuliano Simeone’s cross, scoring his third goal in three La Liga appearances.
Real Madrid mount late fightback
Real Madrid introduced Julian Alvarez, who had reportedly been linked with a move to Barcelona during the summer, with the forward receiving some boos from the home crowd.
Real eventually pulled one back when Antonio Rudiger headed in from a Bernardo Silva free-kick.
However, Atletico held firm to secure all three points and complete the derby victory.
Simeone gets first win over Mourinho
The victory was particularly significant for Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who secured his first Madrid derby win over Jose Mourinho.
Simeone had lost all three derby meetings against Mourinho during the Portuguese manager’s first spell in Madrid.
Mourinho had also won all six of his La Liga matches against Atletico between 2010 and 2013.
The first half was a scrappy affair, with Simeone and two Atletico defenders receiving yellow cards.
Cristian Romero also survived a VAR review for a foul on Jude Bellingham that could have resulted in a red card.
Atletico improved considerably after the break and were the stronger side even before Huijsen’s dismissal.
They finished with 18 shots compared with Real Madrid’s eight, underlining their dominance after the interval.
Real Madrid fall further behind Barcelona
The defeat was Real Madrid’s second loss in seven La Liga matches since Mourinho’s return.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have won all seven of their league matches and have scored 31 goals, leaving Real Madrid six points adrift of the leaders.
Real Madrid subsequently dropped to fourth place after Real Betis drew 1-1 with Deportivo.
