Madrid derby ends in draw, giving Barcelona chance to close gap

The Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ended in a draw, Saturday, in the 23rd round of the Spanish Football League.

Kylian Mbappe scored in the second half in the 50th minute to rescue Real Madrid in a 1-1 draw with visitors Atletico Madrid, who had taken the lead through Julian Alvarez in the 35th minute from the penalty spot.

Mbappe equalizes for Real Madrid #LaLiga #RealMadrid #AtleticoMadrid pic.twitter.com/TDffp8prVW

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) February 8, 2025

Atletico dominated the first half before the home side came back in the second half.

Atletico took the lead when Julian Alvarez scored from the penalty spot in the 35th minute after Aurelien Tchouameni stamped on Samuel Leno's foot inside the area.

After returning to the "VAR", the referee awards Atletico Madrid a penalty kick, which Julian Alvarez successfully executes . #LaLiga #RealMadrid #AtleticoMadrid pic.twitter.com/OA5GHPZjJD

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) February 8, 2025

Real Madrid tops the standings with 50 points, one point ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona is third with 45 points.

Barcelona, who are third in the standings with 45 points, can reduce the gap with Real Madrid to just two points if they win today, Sunday, against Sevilla.

Other matches

In other matches today, Saturday, in the 23rd round of the Spanish League, Villarreal snatched 3 valuable points, by winning 2-1 away from home against Las Palmas.

Villarreal raised its score to 40 points in fifth place, while Las Palmas' wounds deepened with a new loss, freezing its score at 23 points in 15th place.

In another match, Athletic Bilbao star Oihan Sanset scored a hat-trick to lead his team to a 3-0 victory over its guest, Girona.

Bilbao raised its score to 44 points to strengthen its presence in fourth place, one point behind Barcelona, which is in third place. As for Girona, its score froze at 31 points in seventh place.

Celta Vigo also came out of a dark tunnel, with an exciting 3-2 victory over its guest Real Betis, raising its score to 28 points in 12th place. As for Real Betis, it continued to bleed, freezing its score at 29 points in 10th place.