Atlético Madrid beats Real Madrid 2-1 in derby after Huijsen red card

Atlético Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in a tightly contested Madrid derby at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20, 2026, with the match decided by a controversial red card issued to Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen in the 52nd minute.

The first half remained goalless despite mounting tension. Early in the second half, Huijsen was shown a direct red card for fouling Atlético forward Giuliano Simeone in the penalty area. The referee initially issued a yellow card and signaled a penalty, but consulted VAR and changed the sanction to a red card after determining Huijsen had committed the foul as the last defender. Alejandro Grimaldo calmly converted the penalty in the 53rd minute, giving Atlético a 1-0 lead with Real Madrid reduced to ten men.

Atlético extended their advantage to 2-0 in the 59th minute when Jonathan David finished a low cross from Simeone. Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for 40 minutes, Real Madrid pulled one back through Antonio Rüdiger's header in the 89th minute, but could not complete a comeback.

The match was marked by multiple controversial moments. Real Madrid's coaching staff alleged that Atlético players Cuti Romero and Kang-In Lee should have received red cards for separate incidents in the first half. Real Madrid issued a statement criticizing referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias, stating Romero escaped expulsion for stepping on Jude Bellingham's knee and Lee for stepping on Federico Valverde's ankle. Following the match, José Mourinho publicly complained about the officiating, claiming the decisions influenced the result. Additionally, Atlético goalkeeper coach Pablo Vercellone and Real Madrid assistant Pedro Luis Ferreira were both sent off during an altercation in the tunnel at halftime.

With the victory, Atlético Madrid climbed to second place in La Liga with 16 points, one point ahead of Real Madrid, which dropped to third place. Barcelona leads the standings with 21 points. For Jonathan David, the Canadian forward scored his third goal in three league matches since joining Atlético earlier in September.