Often this season I’ve looked at Real Madrid and thought that a quick left winger is exactly what they’ve been missing…

Do we still need to pretend to be shocked about a Bernabéu Clásico in October and a Camp Nou Clásico in May?

“6 shots, 4 on target, 5 chances created, 93% passing accuracy, 7 touches in the box and 5 passes into final third showed what Fede Valverde can offer in this new role” Some thoughts as Real Madrid beat Juventus at the Club World Cup for Managing Madrid managingmadrid.com/2025/7/1/24459…

Robin Le Normand lost 7 aerial duels vs Espanyol. That’s more than any other player in La Liga in opening weekend.

Referee Adrián Cordero having to tell the cameramen to get off so Real Madrid can kick-off. Very La Liga.

Xabi Alonso spent pretty much all of the drinks break talking to Aurélien Tchouameni. Can see how important he's going to be to Alonso's system already (and he's on 100% passing accuracy for the first 30 minutes).

Atlético Madrid have many problems, and Julián Álvarez having his two worst games since joining the club back-to-back feels like a symptom of that. If Álex Baena was fit, I don't think Atleti would be facing the same issues.

Watching Atlético Madrid raises so many questions, and I’m still not sure which one they felt had the €22 million answer “Giacomo Raspadori”…

If Real Madrid beat Mallorca and keep a clean sheet tonight, it'll be the first time they've started a league season with three consecutive wins to nil since 1957.

Derby ready ✅

1-0 to Atlético.

Real Madrid's first touch in the Atlético Madrid box is for Kylian Mbappé to shoot and score.

Jan Oblak has conceded with the first shot on target in 5 out of 8 games this season.

Real Madrid's left flank looking exposed time and time again with neither Vinícius nor Bellingham tracking back. Carreras up against Giuliano Simeone and Marcos Llorente on his own.

Bellingham doesn't look fit enough for this game, but even so, Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouameni shouldn't be losing a battle this clearly against Koke and Pablo Barrios.

There haven't been 5 goals in a Madrid derby in La Liga since April 2012. The last time either side held a 3-2 lead was in March 2010. Quite the thriller served up this afternoon.

Julián Álvarez missed a penalty against Mallorca last Saturday. He's scored 5 goals since then.

November 12th, 1950, was the last time Atlético Madrid scored 5 goals against Real Madrid in an official fixture.