An important page in the 2024/25 La Liga story has been written, with points shared at the end of the latest Madrid Derby in Los Blancos’ Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
This was the Spanish top-flight’s second Madrid Derby of the season and the second to end with the score tied at 1-1.
As things stand following Saturday’s showdown, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid remain atop the league table on 50 points, while Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid remain hot on their heels with 49 points.
Meanwhile, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona now trails the league leaders by just two points with their win over Sevilla on Sunday, leaving them on 48 points.
On Saturday, Atleti played some solid stuff in settled possession phases and threatened with fluid counterattacking play, leading to some beautiful combinations between players on the away team.
However, the key to their leaving the Bernabeu with a point on Saturday lies in their excellent out-of-possession tactics, which frustrated Los Blancos from start to finish.
Simeone’s men held just 37.93% of the ball possession at the end of this contest, compared to Real Madrid’s 62.07%.
However, when including Atlético’s decisive penalty kick, the visitors ended the contest with slightly more xG (1.93) than the hosts (1.86), highlighting how well Atlético used the ball when they had it and how difficult it was for Real to turn their ball possession into goalscoring chances.
This post-match tactical analysis piece will primarily focus on Diego Simeone’s out-of-possession tactics, which stifled Real Madrid’s chance creation and helped his side take points from their rivals on Saturday.
We will provide an analysis of Atlético’s low-block, key defensive roles within the team’s tactics, and how they prevented their rivals from creating many clear-cut chances despite the star power in their team.
Real Madrid Vs Atlético Madrid Lineups & Formations
On Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti set his side up in a base 4-2-3-1 shape.
Thibaut Courtois started the game in goal behind a fairly makeshift backline, resulting from an injury crisis that has hit Real’s defence.
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