Madrid scores late to salvage draw against 10-man Atletico
Madrid on Thursday hosts Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals
Real Madrid needed a late goal to salvage a 1-1 draw against 10-man Atletico Madrid at home on Saturday, giving Barcelona a chance to increase its lead of the Spanish league. Teenage Madrid striker Álvaro scored in the 85th minute after Atletico opened through José María Giménez in the 78th and was poised to end its seven-year winless drought at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Atletico scored when it was already down a man after Ángel Correa was sent off for elbowing Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger in the 64th.
The draw left Madrid seven points behind Barcelona ahead of the latter’s match at relegation-threatened Almeria on Sunday.
Madrid was coming off a 5-2 come-from-behind win at Liverpool in the Champions League, and was trying to win its sixth consecutive game in all competitions.
The result kept Atletico, unbeaten in the Spanish league since early January, from moving to third place ahead of Real Sociedad, which played at struggling Valencia late Saturday. Atletico stayed one point behind the Basque Country team. Atletico’s gap to fifth place Real Betis dropped to two points after Betis’ win at last-placed Elche on Friday.
Madrid won the previous derby in January, also at the Bernabéu, to advance to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. On the day of that match, an effigy of Vinícius was hung from a bridge in Madrid in one of many hate attacks against the Brazil forward.
Beginning this weekend, the Spanish league began advertising on stadium scoreboards its channels for fans to denounce racist and hate insults.
Atletico defender Reinildo injured his right knee midway through the first half and had to be carried off on a stretcher.
Before the match, Madrid honored Amancio Amaro, the former club legend who died last week.
Madrid on Thursday hosts Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Atletico hosts Sevilla in the league on Saturday.
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