Atlético Madrid 2-2 Real Madrid: Five Talking Points

Cristiano Ronaldo's late equaliser was enough to grab a point for Real Madrid, as they emerged battered and bruised from a thoroughly absorbing 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon, agianst Atletico Madrid. Karim Benzema gave his side the lead early on, but goals from Koke and then Gabi meant that Real went into the interval 2-1 down. But, Real came out with a share of the spoils and reaffirmed their lead at the top of La Liga. Here are the five major talking points from the game.

#1 Referee manages to keep his cool

The job of a referee is often a thankless one. Criticized for one small mistake and never really appreciated for the million good ones, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would want to put themselves through that. But Carlos Delgado Ferreira did that and so much more as he put in a man of the match performance. With players rolling around in the ground for fun and tackles flying high-and-low, it certainly wasn’t an easy game to referee. There were more incidents in 90 minutes than it usually is, in an entire weekend of games, but the referee stood strong, understood the game and didn’t brandish yellow cards at his whim and fancy. The Madrid derby was arguably one of the most difficult games to officiate, but it was made to look like a cake-walk by Carlos Delgado, who let the players get on with the game.

#2 It was a derby to remember

Far too often, the modern game has developed into a game of chess that is fuelled by tactics and a growing influence of technology. But, the Madrid derby was a throwback to how it was, just a few decades ago. It was a game that saw raw emotion take center stage. With tackles flying in left, right and center, it was a game that saw plenty of incidents, including one that saw Atlético's assistant manager Germán Burgos being sent off and still continuing to confront the referee, before needing five men to pull him away. It was a “blood and thunder” derby day in which neither side wanted to give an inch and the pride that comes with winning a derby was at the forefront of all the players’ minds. It certainly was one of the most engaging, enthralling and entertaining derbies in a very long time.

#3 League title isnt over just yet

Going into a crucial league encounter with their cross-town rivals, Atlético fans would have been hoping to end a barren run at home against Real Madrid that has seen them not win even once this century. And it was not just fans of Atlético that were rooting for them, but most of Spain as well. Because a defeat would have meant that the League would have gone back to status-quo. As it stands, they are still only three points behind Real Madrid and although it was an opportunity lost, the result meant that the title race isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination. And although familiar ghosts looked like they were going to haunt them, in the end, although they didn’t win, they at least did end a run that has saw them lose eight games on the bounce.

#4 Cream almost rises to the top

Although Real Madrid took the lead in the opening few minutes, it was one that didn’t last for too long. For much of the game, the physical nature meant that neither side was able to get a grip on the game. And before too long, Atlético took the lead thanks to Koke and a wonder-strike from Gabi. But since the start of the second-half Real just kept on coming. Like a swarm of bees gathering around a flower, Los Blancos were all over Atlético and were richly rewarded in the end for their persistence. Although Ronaldo’s goal salvaged a point for Real, they would have wanted a lot more. But, given the nature of the game and how it panned out, Ancelotti’s response that he was “satisfied” said it all.

#5 Diego Costa reveals another facet of his game

So far this season, Diego Costa has been a revelation. His goals are one of the main reasons why Atlético are flying high in the League. Against Real Madrid as well, he showed glimpses of that. Just before half-time his turn and shot was blocked by Diego López, and later on, even had a header saved by the keeper. But, the everlasting image of the Spanish striker from the game will be one of him, flinging himself to the floor at every opportunity and revealing an ugly side to his game. There was one moment in the second half, when Costa was running clear of Arbeloa and the defender fouled him, but, instead of going down immediately or continuing forward, the Spanish striker waited until he got into the area and then went down. He was rightly reprimanded by the referee for his antics and was lucky that he even finished the game considering the amount of times he went down softly. Although he is not alone in this, his antics meant that even when he was actually fouled, like in the opening minutes by Sergio Ramos, it was a case of the boy who cried wolf.