Atletico Madrid's big win over work-in-progress Real should kickstart their season

MADRID, Spain -- On the touchline, Diego Simeone was crying. Julián Álvarez had conscionable enactment Atletico Madrid 4-2 up against Real Madrid, curling a escaped footwear past Thibaut Courtois to decisively displacement the derby successful Atletico's favour and possibly kickstart their season.

For Simeone, it was each excessively much. He rubbed his face, astir sinking to his knees, earlier smiling, rubbing his eyes again, and covering his look with his hands. He did his best, but determination was nary hiding it: these were tears, an outpouring of alleviation and joy, of unit released.

In an instant, connected the biggest stage, against their biggest rivals, Atletico's difficult, demoralising commencement to the play had been swept away. At the Metropolitano, they were delivering an electric, historical performance, and thing seemed possible.

It ended 5-2, and if his absorption didn't accidental enough, here's a stat: In each of Simeone's 14 years successful charge, helium had ne'er seen his squad people 5 goals against Real Madrid successful a competitory game.

"There's a batch of emotion," Simeone admitted afterwards, speaking to DAZN, erstwhile asked astir those tears. "It's a play that started with a batch of difficulty. There's a batch of effort, from a batch of radical down the scenes. Their enactment is fantastic."

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There was emotion, too, for Xabi Alonso. His archetypal Madrid derby arsenic manager ended not conscionable successful defeat, but successful a achy lesson. "This decision hurts," helium said afterwards. "We were lacking a gear."

Until Saturday, Real's commencement to the play nether Alonso had been adjacent flawless, winning each game, the squad steadily increasing successful stature and confidence, led by Kylian Mbappé, who scored another, superb extremity here, his eighth successful LaLiga this season. But now, Alonso admitted: "we person to gully conclusions from what happened."

This benignant of nonaccomplishment is not acceptable astatine Real Madrid, adjacent for a caller manager with a batch of credit, similar Alonso. "We didn't find our level," helium said.

One subordinate who has unquestionably recovered his level is the derby's MVP, Julian Alvarez, and his show besides proved that a batch tin alteration successful a week.

Last Sunday, Alvarez was sat, despondent, connected the Atletico bench, hauled disconnected aboriginal by Simeone successful the team's latest disappointing performance, a 1-1 gully astatine Real Mallorca. There were suggestions, aboriginal disputed by Alvarez, that helium had muttered "always me" successful absorption to being withdrawn by Simeone. He insisted he'd simply been frustrated with himself.

Five goals successful 4 days aboriginal -- the latest 2 successful this derby's second-half, a cooly-converted punishment and the escaped footwear that made Simeone outcry -- and Julián can't halt smiling.

"It's precise special," helium said afterwards. "We knew however important it was. It's a derby, and we needed the 3 points... Earlier successful the season, we weren't getting the results, but we were playing well. We've been creating much chances than immoderate different team. Today we were much efficient."

Simeone has often called Alvarez "the champion subordinate we have." "He's very, precise good," the manager said connected Saturday. "He works hard, he's committed. We person to look aft him."

When asked to clarify what "look aft him" meant, Simeone was explicit: "we person to springiness him the tools to people go...