Diego Simeone reaffirmed his belief that Barcelona is the best team in La Liga after Atletico Madrid’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid maintained their position at the top of the table after Kylian Mbappe’s second-half equalizer canceled out Julian Alvarez’s audacious first-half penalty. Atletico had been awarded the spot-kick following a VAR review, which deemed Aurelien Tchouameni’s challenge on Samuel Lino to be a foul.
Alvarez, formerly of Manchester City, coolly chipped the ball down the middle, leaving Thibaut Courtois stranded and silencing the home crowd.
A victory would have propelled Atletico to the summit of La Liga, but Mbappe responded early in the second half with his 16th league goal of the season. Jude Bellingham played a crucial role in the buildup, with his blocked shot setting up Mbappe’s finish.
The England midfielder continued to be a threat as Real pressed for a winner, rattling the crossbar with a header and forcing a key save from Jan Oblak.
The game ended in a stalemate, leaving Real Madrid just one point ahead of Atletico and five clear of Barcelona, who could narrow the gap with a win at Sevilla.
After the match, Simeone maintained his stance on Barcelona’s superiority. “I still insist that Barcelona is the best team in La Liga,” he stated. “They attack well, have incredible speed, and play as a team. Let’s see if they win tomorrow—it’ll be interesting to see how the journalists react to this title race.”
Reflecting on the derby, Simeone believed his team had a strong start but lacked sharpness in the final third. “The first half was very good for us, but we weren’t clinical enough with our chances,” he admitted. “We could have done better in those moments.”
He acknowledged Real’s resurgence after halftime, particularly after Mbappe’s goal. “They played with more intensity, but we still had big chances—Julian, Llorente twice. In the end, it was a draw that probably left both teams feeling they could have won.”
When asked if Atletico had dropped two points rather than gained one, Simeone remained diplomatic. “I respect all opinions. We had our opportunities, but we weren’t as precise as in other games. Real Madrid pushed harder in the second half, hit the woodwork, and in the end, the draw was fair.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, on the other hand, felt his side should have taken all three points. “We deserved more,” he asserted. “The first half was slow, but in the second, we improved significantly. The penalty affected us, but we adapted well.”
With La Liga’s title race heating up, Real Madrid now shift focus to their upcoming Champions League clash against Manchester City, while Atletico prepare for a domestic battle with Celta Vigo.