No Champions League, but La Liga is virtually secured for Barcelona

The Madrid derby finished up 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Antoine Griezmann earning Atletico Madrid a point against Real Madrid.

There was no loser in this derby duel at the Santiago Bernabeu, but one clear winner,as Real Madrid and Atletico played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw, is Barcelona. Barça is now 11 points behind the La Liga second and 15 points behind the third, and definitely, they can start preparations for celebration of the title.

Real Madrid have failed to win in their last five league games against Atletico at the Bernabeu which is their worst run without a home win against the Rojiblancos in La Liga history.

Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke the deadlock with a fine finish after 53 minutes, slotting home an excellent Gareth Bale cross from the left. Another big goal from Ronaldo. This was his 650th career goal for club and country in 903 competitive appearances. Also, his goal was the 500th in the Madrid derby in La Liga history.

However, the lead lasted only four minutes as Griezmann struck back for the visitors, dispatching a finish confidently into the net from close range. Griezmann really likes to play against Real Madrid because he has scored in the last three league derbies at the Bernabeu.

Some unbelievable saves from Oblak deny Real Madrid all three points. He doesn’t get much attention but surely Oblak is one of the best goalkeepers at this moment. The six saves today not only fetched a point for his team, but also saved Atletico from humiliation..

The draw was a fair result. Madrid had the qualitative superiority but Atleti made up for it with their fight and tactical setup.

Meanwhile, without even stepping onto a football field on Sunday, Barcelona are closer to the prize that rewards the season’s most consistent club. Following Sunday’s derby draw, La Liga is now virtually won for the Blaugrana.

 

Written by Rijad Abaza

Follow Rijad on Twitter @RijadAbaza

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