Real Madrid held to 0-0 stalemate against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid hosted cross-town rivals Atletico in the second derby of the season in a match that ended goalless. Here’s a look at the highlights by the half.

Don’t let the scoreline fool you, this match was by no means boring. Real Madrid played with the sort of intensity fans wish they could witness every day. The Whites came out hungry for revenge after their midweek embarrassment against Sevilla and came marginally close. With much of the possession Real’s favour in addition to chances, it’s a miracle that they were unable to grab all three points.

First Half

Real Madrid was looking to make up for their laziness on Wednesday after a woeful performance against Sevilla. Los Blancos came out looking a bit timid but grew into the game as the clock continued to tick.

Like much of the game, the first half saw several missed opportunities to put a goal on the score sheet. On the flip side of things, Thibaut Courtois came up big against his old side making two incredible saves. His trailing hand in one incident and smart positioning in the other ensured he didn’t go down.

Gareth Bale was the focal point of the attack during his time on the pitch, running up the wings and through the middle with ferocity. He hired away at a couple of shots but nothing really testing Atletico keeper Jan Oblak.

The defensive line and Casemiro pressed high and quickly when they lost possession, retrieving it in a timely manner and rebuilding the attack. While this did leave them vulnerable in the back, it’s spot on execution was clearly a part of Julen’s tactics and worked well for the team. Heading into the locker room at halftime with a dead scoreline meant Lopetegui was going to give his players an earful. The second half was evidence that he did just that as Real upped the tempo.