Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid: 5 talking points as Los Blancos dispatch city rivals | LaLiga 2020-21    

#3 Real Madrid continue domestic dominance of city rivals

Real Madrid are undefeated in 10 league games against Atletico Madrid

Once upon a time, the Madrid derby was so one-sided that it led to that infamous banner demanding a 'worthy opponent' for the derby.

The arrival of Diego Simeone helped change that and Atletico Madrid were transformed into more than worthy opponents.

The red and white part of the city got memorable wins in the early part of his tenure, even though they faced heartbreak in the UEFA Champions League final on two occasions.

However, since the appointment of Zinedine Zidane, the previous hierarchy has slowly become reestablished and Real Madrid are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run against their city rivals (seven of which came under their French manager).

7 - Zinedine Zidane 🇫🇷 is unbeaten in his 7 seven LaLiga games against Atlético de Madrid (W3 D4), the best run of any @realmadriden manager in a derby against them since Luis Molowny, 7 games between March 1974 and February 1986 (W5 D2). Master.#RealMadridAtleti #ElDerbi pic.twitter.com/FPrHTTkplA

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 12, 2020

The last time Atletico Madrid defeated Los Blancos in LaLiga was in February 2016 where a second half goal by Jose Maria Gimenez gave them a 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Considering the gains made in recent years by Atletico, it might come as a surprise that they have gone this long without a league victory over Real but once again, Zidane's side showed that they are indeed the number one club in the capital.

#2 Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema write their names into the record books

Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are Real Madrid legends

With 26 years between them in the Real Madrid dressing room, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are among the most experienced and longest-serving players in the Los Blancos squad.

Both men have played extremely crucial roles in all the successes enjoyed by the club in the last decade and they are sure to depart the Santiago Bernabeu as club legends.

Sergio Ramos has acted as the club's on-field and off-field leader in the last six years and his seeming omnipresence means that he could well remain a fixture in this squad for the foreseeable future.

©️🔝🔥 @SergioRamos is now the player with the most derby appearances in history - 4⃣3⃣!💪 ¡ENHORABUENA!#RealMadridAtleti | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/7ei7afmyS3

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 12, 2020

When the Spain international took the field against Atletico Madrid, it was the 43rd time that he was playing in the Madrid derby, placing him joint-top for players with most appearances, alongside Francisco Gento and Manolo Sanchiz.

Ramos will have an opportunity to have the record outright for himself when his side travels to the Wanda Metropolitano for the return fixture.

For Karim Benzema, this was his 528th appearances in all competitions for the 13-time European champions and it saw him overtake the iconic Roberto Carlos as the foreign player with the most appearances in Real Madrid's history.

#1 Atletico Madrid's title credentials questioned

Diego Simeone's side failed to make a statement

Atletico Madrid have not won LaLiga since their remarkable triumph in 2014, and despite steadily punching above their weight, they always seem to fall short of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, their impressive start to the current campaign had many tipping them for glory, especially in light of the struggles being experiences by the Clasico teams.

Diego Simeone's side came into this game on a seven-game winning run with just two goals conceded, while their shackles in front of goal had also been seemingly removed, with the in-form Joao Felix spearheading the attack that had scored a league-high 21 goals from just 10 matches.

Indeed, their record across 10 games was better than anyone else in Europe's top five leagues, and although 'Cholo' Simeone did his utmost to downplay title projections, he could not deny that his side had made a mark.

They were already a massive 12 points ahead of Barcelona and six points ahead of Real Madrid and they came into this game as slight favorites, with an opportunity to make a statement.

A victory here would have sent them nine points clear of Real Madrid with a game in hand and that would set them well on their way to grabbing the crown.

However, their defeat has seen their previous stranglehold at the top diminish. More worrying was the manner in which they were totally outplayed on the field.

Even though the advantage is still with Atletico, the dominance of Real Madrid in this fixture is sure to send a statement to the rest of the league that they are not quite ready to relinquish their title without a fight.

It will also raise questions as to how credible Atletico Madrid's title credentials are.