After having seen Real Madrid in action multiple times, I felt it was finally time to visit the city rivals, Atlético Madrid. I had seen them playing on Getafe a few days ago, but I had not yet visited their home ground. On November 26th, there was an absolute Champions League clash on the schedule against Internazionale, making the evening even more appealing.
Inter had even been a finalist in the previous Champions League campaign. A final they may not like to remember, as they lost 5-0 to PSG. The Italians started this edition well, with a result of 9/9.
On the other hand, Atlético has a very good home record, having not lost a single match in front of their own crowd this season. On the previous match day, Union SG was deated. One thing is for sure, it would be worth it to visit this encounter.
From my appartment in Madrid, it was surprisingly easy to reach the stadium: a quick ride on the metro and you’re at the Metropolitano. Once above ground, I was immediately overwhelmed. WHAT A STADIUM. Modern and imense. What stood out the most personally, was the massive number of food and drink options around the stadium. I had rarely seen such variety at a football venue. It’s a truly unique stadium, completely different from the Bernabéu. Both stadiums are remarkable in their own way.
Before the match started, I immediately noticed that the atmosphere was fantastic. When the players entered the pitch, almost the entire stadium sang along to the club song. It was a truly great experience to witness from behind the goal.
While the atmosphere at Real Madrid is often a little less lively due to the many tourists in the stadium, the emotion and passion at Los Rojiblancos is much more evident. The stadium was alive, and it stayed that way throughout the match.
The game started fiercely, with the visitors immediately threatening through Federico Dimarco and Lautaro Martínez, but Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso was sharp and denied an early lead for the Italians. Just under ten minutes in, the stadium erupted: Julián Álvarez scored the 1–0 for Atlético. After a brief VAR check, the goal was confirmed, and the Metropolitano went completely wild.
Inter regrouped and stayed dangerous, especially through Nicolò Barella and again Dimarco. Both teams played physically, resulting a lot of fouls and stoppages. Yet the tempo remained high, very high. Atlético went into halftime with a narrow lead. In my view, Inter was the better team but lacked the final pass. The team led by Cristian Chivu forgot to reward themselve
After the break, Inter came out strongly and kept their momentum. Barella even hit the crossbar shortly after the restart, a clear warning sign for Diego Simeone’s men. In the 54th minute, Inter finally got what they deserved: Piotr Zieliński finished a beautiful attack to make it 1–1. The game was wide open again.
What followed was an intense second half with chances at both ends. Goalkeepers Yann Sommer and Musso kept their teams in the game multiple times, while Atlético continued to press through Griezmann, Álvarez, and substitute Simeone. The tension was palpable in every action, every corner, and every duel. Both teams went all out for the win.
Just when it seemed everyone had settled for a draw, Atlético scored. In the 93rd minute, Antoine Griezmann delivered a perfect corner into the box, where José María Giménez rose and headed it home. 2–1. The stadium literally exploded. Pure madness, pure Atlético.
After the final whistle, everyone headed for the metro. It was totally packed, but nobody seemed to care about that. With wide smiles, sore throats, and hoarse voices, everyone made their way home.
This was everything a Champions League night should be. It was intense, loud, emotional and decisive until the very last moment.
A successful evening and an impressive first encounter with Atlético Madrid in their own home. They will definitely see me back there again.
