Real Madrid warned a 'monster' has been 'revived' after Xabi Alonso's men were 'dominated' in Atletico humbling

Madrid came from behind to take a 2-1 lead in the first-half of the derby on Saturday before Alexander Sorloth equalised for Atletico on the stroke of half-time. In the second period, though, the hosts overpowered their fierce rivals and sealed the win with a Julian Alvarez double and a late strike from Antoine Griezmann. Alonso's side were comprehensively beaten at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, ending their perfect start to the 2025-26 La Liga season and prompting a stark assessment from the former player and manager.

Speaking on Movistar Plus+, Valdano did not hold back in his criticism of the performance, comparing the damaging loss to heavy defeats of the past. "Last night that monster was revived," he stated. "The monster of visiting Barcelona or being visited by Barcelona and conceding four goals was revived. Atletico ended up dominating Real Madrid in a way we haven't seen in a long time."

Valdano pinpointed a lack of intensity and a catastrophic defensive display as the primary reasons for the humbling. Despite Real Madrid enjoying 63 per cent possession, they were second-best in the decisive moments, with Atletico registering seven shots on target to Madrid's two. "Real Madrid didn't play with the same intensity as Atletico Madrid," Valdano explained. "Atletico clearly won the match up front. Every cross was a drama, a real drama for Madrid."

Despite the alarming result, Valdano did identify some positives in Real Madrid's attacking play. He noted the quality shown for the team's two goals, scored by Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler. "Even so, a single brilliant contact, with tremendous precision and speed between Guler and Mbappe, put the score at an equaliser. And then Madrid went ahead with an extraordinary move from Vinicius," he said. "That gave me the feeling that for the second half, it helped us understand that if Real Madrid got connected a little, they could win the game."

The defeat is the first major setback for Alonso's project after six consecutive league wins to start the season. The result sees Madrid slip to second in La Liga, one point behind leaders Barcelona. The manner of the loss raises serious questions about the team's defensive solidity ahead of a crucial run of fixtures, and the pressure will be on to deliver an immediate response in their upcoming Champions League clash against Kairat before returning to domestic action vs Villarreal.