'It was a bad game' - Xabi Alonso reacts after Real Madrid suffer heavy derby defeat to Atletico

Atletico took the lead through Robin Le Normand's 14th-minute goal before Kylian Mbappe restored parity. Arda Guler then put Madrid in front in the 36th minute, but they failed to hold on to the lead until the break as Alexander Serloth scored the equaliser at the stroke of half-time. Alvarez then joined the party as he scored two goals in quick succession at the start of the second half. Griezmann then took the goals tally to five with a strike in the 93rd minute.   

Speaking to reporters after the game, Alonso said: "It was a bad game, we didn't play well either collectively or under pressure, we weren't at the level we should have been. We're in a building phase, today is our first defeat and we have to draw conclusions from what happened but there are no excuses, we're hurt, it's a derby and a deserved defeat. We weren't on our game, we were lacking a gear and the defeat hurts."  

Real Madrid dealt a fresh injury blow as Dani Carvajal suffered an injury and had to be subbed in the second half, as Eduardo Camavinga came in. Madrid are already dealing with an injury to new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been ruled out for at least two months and Carvajal's injury further increases Alonso's headache in the right-back role.  

England star Jude Bellingham, who returned from a shoulder injury earlier this month, featured in Xabi Alonso's starting lineup for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign. He was on the pitch until the 70th minute when Rodrygo replaced him.