Gareth Bale was introduced to the Santiago Bernabéu on a mission to rescue Real Madrid but he was unable to prevent them losing a league match to their city rivals Atlético for the first time this century. This was not how the Welshman would have dreamed it: six days ago he was forced to pull out of his home debut during the warm up; a week on, a Diego Costa goal condemned Madrid to their first league defeat at the Bernabéu in 34 games.
Real were defeated here by Atlético in the Copa del Rey final four months ago but this was the first time since 1999 that they had lost to them in the league. The good news is that in 1999, when Real were managed by John Toshack, Real finished the season as European champions. The bad news is that this defeat saw them slip five hugely significant points behind Barcelona at the top of the table. Five points behind Atlético too.
Bale was introduced at half-time as Real looked for a way back into this game and there were a couple of dangerous runs but Real were ultimately reduced to aimless punts forward and when the whistle finally went they could not consider themselves unfortunate. This was impressive from the visitors, impotent from the home side.
On 10 minutes, Koke turned a clever pass into the path of Diego Costa with the outside of his foot. The Brazilian, running into the left side of the penalty area, opened out his body and curled a perfect finish into the far corner. It was Koke’s sixth assist of the season and Costa’s eighth goal: the league’s joint top assist provider and joint top goalscorer had combined again, and in the week in which the Spanish Federation formally requested permission to call Costa up to the Spain squad.
“Costa is not Spanish!” chanted the Real Madrid fans behind the goal. He was, though, in the lead. Real had still not had a shot. Ten minutes later they got their first, Cristiano Ronaldo’s left-footed effort from 35 yards, slicing high and well wide.
Then Karim Benzema headed Angel Di María’s cross down and Thibaut Courtois saved. It was a fleeting reaction. Di María’s in-swinging balls, left footed from the right, were Real’s one resource and a limited one at that. Atlético, meanwhile, were growing comfortable. This is a team that plays with a clarity of purpose that is startling at times. The confidence is there too.
Just before the half hour, Thiago was all alone eight yards out but headed the corner over the bar. On the touchline, the Atlético manager, Diego Simeone, clasped his hands together in disbelief. It was a terrible miss; the kind of miss that would once had seen the fatalism flooding back. But Simeone has changed this side. Atlético’s 2-1 victory here in the Copa del Rey final in May finally ended a run of 14 years and 25 games without a victory against their city rivals. That night, Simeone admitted, a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. They were no longer defeated before the game had even begun, waiting for the slightest misfortune to capitulate. Instead there was conviction.
Real still did not create, barring the occasional ball swung in by Di María, one of which Ronaldo headed over just on the half-time whistle. At the other end, Diego Costa turned Pepe and found Arda Turan, who scuffed his shot from the edge of the area. Then Gabi’s powerful downward header was saved sharply by Diego López.
As the ball broke free, López and Diego Costa both flew towards the ball, keeper hand first, the striker feet first. The goalkeeper blocked the shot, the two men clashed, and then as Costa lay on the floor in front of him, López appeared to kick him in the back. Costa was up like a shot the two of them face-to-face, millimetres apart. The intensity threatened to overflow.
Real headed to the dressing room. Luka Modric and Gareth Bale headed out onto the pitch to warm up. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were in need of creativity, ideas, a little subtlety or inspiration. Something, anything.
The two former Tottenham men embraced on the edge of the pitch as the second half began: they were the men asked to change the game. For Bale, it was a home debut and he was met with a roar. The Welshman had been unable to play at the Bernebéu last weekend after pulling out with a thigh injury during the warm up prior to the match with Getafe. Bale had to wait until time added on to make an impact. Courtois, trying to run down the clock almost got caught out by Bale, but the ball went out. Bale’s Bernebéu debut ended in defeat.
*http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHaklZbQOftFYvmU6YtK9Kt59Fstw&url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/28/real-madrid-atletico-madrid-la-liga
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