Real Madrid were taken apart by Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Vicente Calderon with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale spectators as Diego Simone’s side ran riot in a 4-0 victory.
It is the first time in 64 years that Real have lost three straight games in the ground of their neighbours but this was different – this was embarrassing for the richest club in football, smothered from the first kick to last by their poor-relations city neighbours.
Real's £250m forward line of Bale, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema mustered just one shot in a first half dominated by Atletico Madrid who scored twice through Tiago and Saul.
And in the second half the suffering continued when the brilliant Antoine Griezmann added a third and Mario Mandzukic made it four.
A shell-shocked Carlo Ancelotti said after the game. ‘They deserved to win because they won in every facet: they won the battle and they won the football match. We will have to change our attitude going forward.
‘We were second to everything; we lost all the aerial challenges, we weren’t in the game. None of our players played well. It’s the worst performance since I have been the manager.’
Atletico Madrid shot out of the blocks. In contrast Real Madrid were strolling and it wasn’t long before they were paying the price for that lack of intensity. Gabi’s Corner on 13 minutes was brought down by Mandzukic who laid it back to Tiago on the edge of the area.
The former Chelsea midfielder shot through a crowded penalty area and Iker Casillas fumbled the effort and allowed it to squirm over the line. ‘Iker Iker’ sung the Atletico Madrid supporters. They had been given a helping hand by Real’s keeper, not that they needed it.
Real Madrid were playing without three of their first-choice back four and it was showing with Fabio Coentrao struggling to deal with Arda Turan and Nacho and Raphael Varane not able to handle Mandzukic.
Perhaps their preoccupation with the Croat striker was the reason why they left Saul in so much space in the penalty area on 19 minutes. The young midfielder who was out on loan at Rayo Vallecano last season and interesting a host of Premier League clubs had only been on the pitch for nine minutes replacing the injured Koke.
Siqueira got away from Dani Carvajal, dribbled along the byline and pulled the ball back where Saul finished with an acrobatic scissor kick past a this-time faultless Casillas.
Carvajal had received no support from Bale who had more importantly been anonymous in attack down the Madrid right. Likewise Ronaldo was missing in action down the left. By half time Carlo Ancelotti had seen enough and put Ronaldo at centre forward bringing, on Jese at the expense of Sami Khedira but it made no real difference.
Real were fortunate to only be two goals down at half-time. Griezmann had scored what would have been a third only to be incorrectly flagged offside. And a Godin shot had hit Khedira on the face and then the hand leaving Atletico players demanding a penalty.
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