Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid, Another Proof of Los Blancos' Illusion

MADRID, SUNDAY — Fortune cannot be achieved, misfortune cannot be avoided. Real Madrid failed to maximize the opportunity to widen the gap with Atletico Madrid. "Los Blancos" nearly lost before Kylian Mbappe scored a goal that made the score 1-1 when the two teams competed at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, on Sunday (2/9/2025) early morning WIB. The result is another proof of Real's apparent resilience this season.

Although they have won the UEFA Super Cup, have the opportunity to advance to the last 16 of the Champions League, and have secured a place in the semifinals of the Spanish King's Cup, there is still something perplexing about Real's performance this season. The team coached by Carlo Ancelotti often manages to overcome smaller teams but always struggles to handle opponents with comparable player compositions and levels.

With the draw against Atletico, this means Real continues the trend of failing to win against big teams this season. Real's resilience has yet to be tested against European giants such as AC Milan, Liverpool, and Barcelona. Therefore, Real's series of minor successes so far this season is nothing but built on a false sense of resilience.

Real always suffers defeats when facing big teams. This tendency raises concerns among supporters regarding Real's chances of defeating Manchester City in the battle for a ticket to the last 16 of the Champions League.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This will be a difficult season in the league until the end. We are happy despite experiencing some difficulties. Although it is tough, we are working well," said Ancelotti in response to criticism about his team's performance so far this season.

The main reason Real struggles to overcome big teams is their inability to stop the opponents' efforts to build attacks from the midfield. Big teams with better quality players are always able to break through the first line of Real's pressing, which is organized by the forwards and midfielders.

When under attack, Ancelotti generally instructs the players to form a 4-4-2 pattern aimed at tightening the space between lines while also limiting the opponent's ball flow. However, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, who are tasked with pressing since the ball is still in the opponent's defense, often fail to perform their roles.

After Mbappe and Vinicius were bypassed, the opposing players immediately gained the upper hand in the midfield. This caused Real's midfielders to often struggle to fend off attacks. On several occasions, Luka Modric had a tense exchange with Vinicius due to his relatively infrequent assistance in the midfield. Jude Bellingham was also caught on camera speaking with Real's three forwards, urging them to drop back further to help press the opponent's attacks.

Overall, Real often has difficulty pressing opponents with better quality players. This is often found when meeting big teams. The situation is different when facing small teams. With the disparity in player quality, Real tends to be able to press better.

In addition to being overwhelmed in defense, Real has also not proven the quality of its attack line when meeting big teams. This happened in Real's latest match against Atletico. Real's attack line strengthened by Vinicius, Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Bellingham was unable to break down Atletico's tight defense which implemented a 4-4-2 formation, even 5-5-0 when defending.

Struggling to create space and chances due to Atletico's tight defense, the four Real players took turns dropping into midfield and trying to get past the opponent's guard with one-two passes. Unfortunately, they were often careless when controlling the ball. Bellingham, for example, lost the ball up to 10 times. Rodrygo lost the ball seven times.

In the midst of the goal-scoring effort, Real actually conceded first through a penalty from Julian Alvarez. The penalty given to Atletico had heated up the situation in the stadium due to referee Cesar Soto Grado's controversial decision. With the help of the video assistant referee (VAR), Soto Grado decided that Aurelien Tchouameni had stepped on Samuel Lino.

"It's a point that wasn't enough for us. We had a game plan and they (Atletico) took the lead without doing anything. After that, the team showed character and kept attacking," said Real captain Lucas Vazquez.

Thanks to their tenacity in attack, Real were finally able to equalize through Mbappe's shot. The former Paris Saint-Germain player pounced on a loose ball from an Atletico defender's imperfect clearance. Real continued to try to score a goal to turn things around, but Atletico's defense was very disciplined and uncompromising. Until the end of the match, the score remained 1-1.

The draw means Real now have 50 points, one point behind second-placed Atletico. With this, third-placed Barcelona has a chance to close the gap to one with Atletico. However, Barca must first beat Sevilla in another match.

"We are in a very good position. Barcelona are the best team, they are playing very well. If they manage to win in Seville, the standings will be very tight. And it will be very good for journalists to have fun together," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone. (REUTERS)