El Derbi: Same Old, Same Old

Whoever scripted the story of Robert Bruce and the spider certainly didn't know about Atletico Madrid. Try, try, try, try and try until you succeed might be good enough to convince the sleeping back-bencher in the classroom to spur on his studies, but when it comes to Atletico Madrid and the Derbi Madrileno, it holds as much water as a pot with a hole in it.

Because Atletico Madrid have tried and tried and tried and they have failed to win a Madrid derby for nine years. Because they tried and tried and tried and tried against Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday night and failed miserably. Because sometimes, like the Darfur crisis and the Middle East peace process, success isn’t kind to endeavour.

At the start of every El Derbi, Atleti faithful feel they will win it. Only, they don't, and they didn't this time either. The prognosis that this could be yet another goal-littered evening at the Calderon took shape as early as the 40th second when Ruud van Nistelrooy spurned his marker, didn't take a look at goal, relied on his instinct and shot past an unexpectant Leo Franco. After all, a fortnight ago at the Camp Nou, mighty FC Barcelona had scored inside the first couple of minutes and had then gone onto score at a canter; Atleti have a history of 4-3s and 4-0s at the Calderon, too.

And frankly, it could easily have been so, had the myopic condition of the referees not crept into the equation. They don't really respect the match officials in Spain and it is not that difficult to understand why. Real Madrid were disallowed not one but two legitimate goals inside the first half an hour, the first when Ruud van Nistelrooy was wrongly judged to be offside after Franco had parried Fabio Cannavaro's shot onto his eagerly accepting feet then in the 29th minute when Raul, born and bred as a Atletico Madrid supporter if you may remember, weaved his own sorcery and slotted the ball home only for the linesman to raise his flag and drain down his effort to waste. Wrongly, of course.

And then Atletico Madrid had Luis Perea sent off (wrongly?) on the half hour mark and Real Madrid, seemingly inclined to balance the numbers, had Ruud van Nistelrooy receiving his marching orders (wrongly again?) nine minutes later. Clos Gomez: your time is up.

Real Madrid played with the same killing effectiveness and consuming self-conviction that coach Bernd Schuster has installed in the unit. No, they weren't the FC Barcelona-prototypes, hammering Atleti for a sixer but they certainly knew how to get their job done all right. Playing with a three-prong attack with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Raul and Gonzalo Higuain upfront and Fernando Gago, Ruben de la red and Wesley Sneijder in the midfield, the Merengues had more talent and better organization than their city rivals.

Yet Real Madrid were never really in cruise-control against the Ghetto side. If Atletico Madrid had been arguably the stronger side in the first 25 minutes, then they were certainly calling the shots in the last quarter of the match. And if you subtract the two disallowed goals, then the Rojiblancos were arguably the better side in the match.

But they are Atletico Madrid, El Pupas, the eternal optimists and the perennial under-achievers. They are the third biggest club in Spain but haven't won anything of note since 1996. The Calderon is located at Melancholics' Way and these days it is melancholic indeed.

Atletico have now suffered three defeats in a row in La Liga and more agonizingly and indicatively against three teams who are considered as genuine title contenders this season.

If the 1-0 defeat to Sevilla on Matchday 5 expressed their ineptitude to remain consistent, then the 6-1 hammering by Barcelona at Camp Nou a fortnight ago exhibited the non-existence of a backline. And the 2-1 humiliation to Madrid in front of their own fans, who have now gone nine years without a triumph for the Mattress-makers over their loathed Madrid rivals, particularly at home (the last victory at the Calderon coming way, way back in 1999.)

Atletico Madrid have an enigmatic history of always losing when they are best set to win. In October 2006 at the Bernabeu, Sergio Aguero blew up a perfect chance to make himself a love figure for the Atleti faithful when he scooped the ball over Iker Casillas only for the ball to scoop itself over the bar. At the Calderon that same season, the whispers of Madridismo resurfaced as Madrid were controversially awarded favourable decisions and Atletico made the short trip back home soaked in frustration and hatred.

And this time in spite of staring in the eye of Real Madrid for most of the match, Atletico failed to impress themselves upon their more illustrious city-mates. While Real's last grasp winner demonstrated the depth in their squad and a never-say-die attitude, Atleti's inability to wrestle out a point revealed their weakness on the bench and a certain a mental blockade.

For Real, Pepe was strong as ever, Fabio Cannavaro had an odd good game, Fernando Gago showed his ability, De La Red conveyed vision and Sneijder didn't look that he was ever injured; for Atletico, Sergio Aguero had a good game, Diego Forlan seemed rusty but eager, Simao was effective at times and Maniche was again the engine. Yet Atleti lost and Real won, thanks to the 95th minute penalty from Higuain, who had said before the match that he shall score in the derby.

But every cloud has a silver lining. The last time Atletico defeated Real, they were relegated to the Spanish Segunda Division. So maybe it’s not a bad thing that Atleti didn't win this time.

Or is it?

Subhankar Mondal