Ronaldo rescues derby point for Madrid
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E-mail Xinhua, March 3, 2014
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Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid an early lead. |
Some things in football are easy to predict and others not so clear as was made abundantly clear in the Madrid derby which ended 2-2 between Atletico and Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon.
It was easy to predict that the game between two neighbors with no love lost and a recent history of 'subterranean' football in recent meetings was going to be feisty and even more so with the possible leadership of the BBVA Primera Liga at stake.
A win for Real would have put them six points clear of their neighbors, but Atletico knew that if they could overcome the league leaders they would leapfrog them in the table.
Given their recent visits to the Vicente Calderon, it was also no surprise that Real Madrid would take an early lead as Karim Benzema beat the offside trap on two minutes to slide home Angel Di Maria's curling cross following a corner.
The game saw foul, dives and attempts to fool referee Delgado Ferreiro and enough controversial moments to give commentators enough material to keep them busy for the coming week.
Atletico asked for no fewer than four penalties as Diego Costa hit the floor time and again, but like the 'boy who cried wolf' his protests were waved away time and again by Ferreiro, who should have pointed at the spot after Sergio Ramos appeared to bring the striker down after 10 minutes.
He may have got it right on 65 minutes when Costa went down again after beating Alvaro Arbeloa on the edge of the area, but his decision to punish the forward for a dive incensed Atletico assistant coach 'Mono' Burgos who was sent off for his protests and had to be physically restrained to stop him reaching the referee.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was how Atletico Madrid were able to overcome their early setback and turn the score around in a high energy first half.
Koke took advantage of great work from Arda Turam to score with a diagonal shot and when Gabi Fernandez scored from 30 yards on the stroke of halftime with a shot which seemed to totally deceive Diego Lopez, the fightback looked to be complete.
The second half saw no letup in the action and Costa had a chance to make it 3-1 only to fire wide when clean through on goal.
At the other end Ronaldo and Benzema went close, while Lopez redeemed himself with a save from Costa on the near post.
Carlo Ancelotti reacted well with his chances, bringing on Marcelo, Isco and Dani Carvajal and was rewarded when Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from a Carvajal cross with just 7 minutes left.
Atletico looked to be exhausted as Real Madrid looked for the winner but held on for a draw which keeps them in the title hunt after a match which will occupy a lot of inches in the Spanish newspapers on Monday morning.
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