Real Madrid rescued a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid with a late equalizer from Karim Benzema, extending their unbeaten streak in El Derbi to ten LaLiga games.
In Sunday’s Derbi, Atletico Madrid squandered a goal lead with two minutes remaining, while Real Madrid continued to frustrate their rivals.
Atleti is the best team in Spain’s top flight this season, but they have been second best in their own city in recent years and were unable to end a poor run in this match on Sunday.
To secure a crucial victory Luis Suarez’s 10th league goal against Madrid seemed to be enough, but missed opportunities cost Diego Simeone’s side as the long-serving Atleti coach was denied a club-record 309th victory.
Benzema, fit to captain the team again, with an 88th-minute equalizer to keep the champions in contention – made his 371st LaLiga appearance – a record for Madrid’s non-Spanish players.
Madrid is still in third place, five points behind Atletico Madrid, but Barcelona, who beat Osasuna on Saturday, is now just three points behind the champions, who have just one win in five games in all competitions.
Celta Vigo beat Huesca 4-3 away in an earlier match.
It was a “crazy” game with seven goals and a series of reversals. The visitors took a 1-0 lead, then Huesca turned the score in their favour by taking a 2-1 lead. Celta fought back with two goals for a 3-2 lead, the home side then tied at 3-3, to give Celta a fourth-goal victory.
Santi Mina (5), Nolito (37), Hugo Mallo (52) and Fran Beltran (76) scored for Celta, and Siovas (14) and Rafa Mir (16), David Ferreiro (74) scored for the home team.
Atletico leads with 59 points, Barcelona has 56 and Real Madrid 54 points.
With this victory, Celta jumped to eighth place with 33 points, while Huesca is in the last 20th place with 20 points, four less than the rescue zone.
Atletico Madrid 1 – 1 Real Madrid
Goals: 1-0 Suarez 15, 1-1 Benzema 88
Bookings: Carrasco, Correa, Felix, Savic, Llorente; Varane
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Hermoso, Felipe, Savic, Trippier, Lemar, Llorente, Koke, Carrasco, Suarez, Correa
Substutions: Felix, Kondogbia, Niguez
Real Madrid: Courtois, Lucas, Varane, Nacho, Mendy, Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, Rodrygo, Benzema Asensio
Substituions: Valverde, Vinicus
The Results:
Huesca 3 – 4 Celta
Atletico Madrid 1 – 1 Real Madrid
