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Real Madrid snatched a late point at the Wanda Metropolitano after holding Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw in the 2020-21 La Liga.
Karim Benzema scored in the 88th minute of the game to cancel out Luis Suarez's early opener as the La Liga title race takes another interesting turn. The former Barcelona ace had broken the deadlock after just 15 minutes, arrowing a fierce low drive off the outside of his boot.
After struggling to test Atletico Madrid in the first half, Real Madrid sprung to life after the break, mustering a few good shots which needed Jan Oblak's intervention.
However, there was no stopping Benzema when a neat one-two with Casemiro opened up Atletico Madrid, and the Frenchman lashed in a valuable equaliser into an unguarded net.
The draw leaves the reigning champions five points behind their city rivals, who have a game in hand. But it's Barcelona who'll be most satisfied with the result, as they could cut into Atletico Madrid's lead at the top.
On that note, here are the five hits and flops from either team in the Madrid derby:
Hit: Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)
New team, same old Luis Suarez! After tormenting Real Madrid in the El Clasico for six years, the Uruguayan ace came back to haunt the reigning champions once again.
After receiving the ball on the edge of the box from Marcos Llorente, Suarez scampered up a few steps before rifling a sublime effort into the bottom corner.
That was his 17th strike of the La Liga season, the most behind his friend Lionel Messi of Barcelona.
Suarez was a constant threat for Atletico Madrid, forcing Thibaut Courtois into action a couple of times in the game while managing a game-high four shots on target.
Flop: Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Rodrygo started on the left wing for Real Madrid but had a largely anonymous outing before he was subbed off.
Against Atletico Madrid, Rodrygo was a far cry from his promising self last season. The Brazilian's poor form continued with another stinker, as he offered precious little in the Real Madrid attack.
He didn't make a single key pass. In comparison, Lucas Vazquez, playing as a right-back, had three. Rodrygo couldn't muster a single effort on goal too.
Sure, this is only Rodrygo's second season at Real Madrid. But the 20-year-old's performances have been dismally poor this campaign, which should worry Zinedine Zidane.
Hit: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Cometh the hour, cometh Karim Benzema, who stepped up to the plate against Atletico Madrid and rescued an important point for Real Madrid.
After knocking on Atletico Madrid's door for long - he mustered a game-high eight shots in total - the Frenchman found the back of the net with his last.
A neat one-two with Casemiro saw the French striker race through the heart of Atletico Madrid's defence, streaming past a bunch of red shirts, before thumping home into an empty net.
Benzema has struggled for consistency this season, but in the big games, he hasn't failed to deliver.
Flop: Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid)
With most of Atletico Madrid's players performing impressively, it was not the case with Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, whose performances made him stick out like a sore thumb.
The young Frenchman was solid in attack, but defensively, he endured a tough time, as Luis Suarez and Angel Correa ran rings around him with their link-up play.
In fact, Mendy was nowhere to be seen during Suarez's opening goal, as he was high up the field while neglecting his defensive responsibilities. He also got dispossessed six times, more than anyone else in the game.
It was a day to forget for Mendy.
Hit: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Frankly, we could've gone with either of the goalkeepers here, but given how the match eventually played out, the Real Madrid custodian gets the nod.
After failing to stop Suarez for Atletico Madrid's opener, Thibaut Courtois recovered well, making a few key saves in the second half to prevent the hosts from extending their lead.
He twice denied Suarez within a span of 60 seconds, showing excellent anticipation and strong hands, before denying the Uruguayan a third time a while layer.
Thanks to the exploits of Courtois, the scoreline remained only 1-0 till the dying moments. The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper's hard work eventually paid off, as Real Madrid stole a point at the death.
