War analogies are always dangerous, especially in these sad times, but the reality is that the Bernabéu was like a place targeted by two enemy artillery. They punished each other harshly and precisely in a derby that, in the end, Madrid held onto like they hold onto the league. It's no longer Atlético's war, but they fought and will fight on other fronts. For sure.
Fede Valverde, Nahuel Molina, Lookman, Vinicius, and even those who didn't succeed, like Julián Álvarez, caused continuous explosions on the field, after a somewhat contemplative start by Atlético, who managed to take the lead thanks to Lookman, one of those happy findings. The numerical superiority at the end of the match due to Valverde's harsh expulsion did not, however, allow them to equalize in a closely contested derby. This can only be balanced in one way.
Valverde plays like a possessed footballer, someone in whom a mystery has taken place. There's no exorcism that can stop him, not for now. He did it himself, no one knows if it was due to his own demons, with the challenge to Álex Baena, with whom he had some unfinished business.
For that exorcism, there's no one like Simeone, without a cassock but in strict black, as if no joy is allowed, capable of appeasing any demon on a football field. With Valverde, he couldn't until his expulsion. He even saw how one of his main guardian angels failed, reduced to his human condition, with the arrival of the Madridista in the area. From Uruguayan to Uruguayan, Valverde overcame Giménez and scored Madrid's second goal. He could have scored the first when the score was still level, but his shot hit the woodwork after a powerful and faith-driven run, like a knight on horseback.
Valverde is a symptom of the things that have improved at Madrid, where he has the freedom to explore the area thanks to a formula with five midfielders. In need, Arbeloa found the solution and stuck to it despite Mbappé's return. Everything indicates that Mbappé is not at his best, but the reality is that the Frenchman started on the bench in a highly demanding match. When he entered the field, Madrid had already corrected the situation in a rollercoaster derby. From there, it was about holding on.
The first correction came from a penalty, absurd because Brahim had already moved away, but Hancko touched him where he shouldn't have. Bad move. Vinicius and Madrid once again clung to the derby and the league just after returning from halftime.
Have a Lookman in your team. Things will happen, and they might happen where nothing is happening. That wasn't the case in the derby, lively from the start, mainly due to Madrid's movement, with that energy that comes from conviction. It's Arbeloa's first achievement as a coach, even though it didn't prevent suffering. Barcelona also struggles in the in-between games, although they managed to secure the essentials against Rayo. The four-point difference remains, but with nine matchdays left, the league is alive, very much alive.
Lookman is like a return to the beginning. To the beginning of football. Sometimes it's necessary because we tend to complicate the simple. As the British say, in times of doubt, back to basics, back to basics. Lookman is like a return to dribbling, to the essence, to the street, after so much Excel, scouting, and other unpronounceable words that have come to improve it. Or so they say. The credit goes to Atlético.
Sheltered, too close to Musso, Simeone's team needed paths to explore all of the Bernabéu. Initially, they found three: Lookman's skill, Marcos Llorente's gallop like a racehorse, and Griezmann's wisdom. Later, Julián Álvarez joined. The Frenchman started in the lineup alongside the Nigerian and the Argentine for a reason. He may no longer be able to lead transitions and finish them at top speed, but he excels at identifying the vertices those transitions need. He's Simeone's sage in an Atlético missing the injured Pablo Barrios.
In the goal that put them ahead, Lookman stood out not for his dribbling against two defenders but for his decisions and movements. He waited for Ruggeri to arrive, who dominated the left flank and crossed softly. Giuliano responded to that soft cross with a back-heel touch, and Lookman understood where he needed to be to finish the team play with the same finesse.
The break gave Simeone an excuse, but too much defense in the living room comes at a cost. More or less strict, the penalty came with enough time for this Madrid team that believes. Then, the one who believes the most of all, Valverde, did it. Nahuel Molina imitated him with a missile before the Uruguayan left the field, and Vinicius drew his preferred line to put Madrid ahead again. A suffering Madrid, in inferiority, ended the match like a penitent who keeps believing in the Resurrection. None do it like Valverde, possessed, between the goal and anger.