Atletico Madrid defeated city rivals Real Madrid 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday, capitalising on a second-half red card to secure a hard-fought victory at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The first half ended goalless in a tense, physical contest marked by frequent fouls and limited clear chances. Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen was shown a red card in the 51st minute following a VAR review for a foul in the penalty area on Giuliano Simeone.
Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty in the 53rd minute to give Atletico the lead. Jonathan David doubled the advantage six minutes later, finishing from close range after a cross from Simeone.
Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back for the visitors with a header in the 88th minute, but Atletico held on through six minutes of added time to claim the three points.
Real Madrid started the match in second place, six points behind leaders Barcelona, while Atletico occupied fourth. The result allowed the hosts to leapfrog their neighbours in the standings.
