The spoils were shared in the Madrid Derby after 18-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez cancelled out Jose Gimenez’s opener for 10-man Atletico Madrid in a 1-1 draw.
Atletico were reduced to ten men when half-time substitute Angel Correa was sent off for an elbow into the chest of Antonio Rudiger.
But Gimenez silenced the Santiago Bernabeu when he headed Antoine Greizmann’s cross beyond Thibaut Courtois.
Rodriguez matched the defender with a header of his own to salvage a point for Real late on.
Both sides had their fair share of chances in the first half, but neither were clinical enough in front of goal.
The biggest talking point of the opening period was Reinildo’s injury, with the defender having to be replaced after 23 minutes following a nasty knee injury he sustained during a tussle with Federico Valverde.
Real had a great chance to go ahead early on in the second half when Vinicius drove into the box and squared a cross to Benzema at the front post, but the Frenchman failed to get enough purchase on the ball as it flashed across the face of goal.
Minutes later Antione Greizmann popped up on the edge of the box and was presented with a good chance to fire Atletico ahead, but dragged his shot wide.
All of a sudden Atletico were down to ten men when half-time substitute Angel Correa was sent off for an elbow into the chest of Antonio Rudiger, 19 minutes after his introduction.
Despite the one-man advantage, Real fell behind when Gimenez headed Greizmann’s cross from a free-kick across the goal and into the bottom right corner.
Facing a huge blow that would almost certainly end their fading hopes of chasing Barcelona in the title race, Rodriguez popped up with his first Real goal to earn a point for Los Blancos.
Real are second in the table, seven points behind Barcelona who have a game in hand, while Atletico remain fourth.
Source: Eurosport
