The run of six straight victories of Atletico was broken definitively at Santiago Bernabeu. The whites beat them two goals to one after a disputed match in which the visitors were worth of, at least, a tie. Real Madrid solved the few goal occasions that they had, while Atletico, that deserved much more, finished the match paying the expensive lack of success facing the goal.

As it happened in the first round match, Real Madrid tipped soon the balance in their favor when, at 3’, Roberto Carlos overflowed running by the left side and sent a center that Cassano headed heartly with only Leo Franco’s opposition. Nothing could do the Argentinean to save the crossed header by the ex-Rome player. Bad news not finished yet: Juan Valera had to leave the field because he was injured, giving up his position to the 'bone' Galletti. The start couldn’t be worse for the red-and-whites, although they proved once again that they know how to overcome adversity. Little by little, Atletico took control of the game and they began to come closer to Casillas’ area, mainly through kicked high balls to the area and Gabi's, Luccin’s and Fernando Torres’ shots from distance.

At the end, the harassment to the white area was succesful. At 27' Peter Luccin took advantage of a loose ball in front of the area to connect one of his 'piledrivers'. The shot, in spite of taking the way to the bottom line, changed the trajectory unexpectedly thanks to a subtle and effective kick with one's heel of Mateja Kezman that beat Casillas. The Serbian had soon after the second goal on his boots in a confrontation with the goalkeeper of Madrid, but his shot left high.

Real Madrid’s answer didn’t take long: Beckham made a run by the right side solved with a center to the area that Baptista sent to the bottom of the net. The red-and-whites looked to arrive to half-time with a tie at the scoreboard, something possible after watching two actions of Mateja Kezman, the smartest player that night: the first one, a high ball that Roberto Carlos was forced to clear it almost in the goal line, and the second a shot in a foul kick that nearly became the tie.

The second half was very similar to the first one, exchange of shots between both teams in a match without an answer, although Atletico continued having the clearest chances, like a Gabi's shot from outside the area that left slightly diverted, or another kick off by Torres from the frontal of the area that also left far from Casillas’ goal. Real Madrid looked for the reaction and to finish off the match, although they didn't arrive with clarity to Leo Franco’s area, while Atletico continued searchig for the tie. At forward line Fernando Torres and Kezman fought with the white rear to achieve his objective, but the whites kept the push with security and in occasions using hard maners, especially by the Danish Gravesen that took charge of cutting the red-and-white captain's actions by playing in the limit and beyond the regulation.

Minute by minute the match arrived to the final stages among the doubt of whether the local would finish off the job or the visitors would tie the match. Atletico, without anything to lose, lean to the hounding of Casillas’ goal during the last minutes of the match, being able to lock Real Madrid in their own area. Although these were minutes of pressure for the whites, they put the padlock in their goal and they were able to maintain the advantage until the end of the match, although Fernando Torres was close to tie in the discount time with a header that left slightly high.

The match ended with a red-and-white defeat, result that they didn't suffer in League since past January 14th at Seville. The seventh straight victory didn’t arrive for Pepe Murcia’s players whom see how the run that let them to add 18 points of 21 possible during the last seven league’s matches finishes.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent