Real Madrid were on the receiving end of a crushing 5-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid in their last La Liga match on September 27, at Metropolitano Stadium.
Robin Le Normand opened the scoring for the home side in just 14 minutes into the match, followed by Kylian Mbappe netting Los Blancos’ equalizer in the 25th minute.
After providing an assist for their first goal, Arda Guller took the lead for Real Madrid in the 36th minute from an assist by Vinicius Jr. Alexander Sorloth found Atletico’s equalizer in the concluding minutes of the first half stoppage time.
Atletico were awarded a penalty, which Julian Alvarez successfully converted in the 51st minute, followed by netting Los Rojiblancos’ lead in the 63rd minute.
Antoine Griezmann scored the fifth goal for Atletico three minutes into the second half’s stoppage time, making their victory more impressive.
Los Blancos’ loss in the first Madrid derby of the season broke their seven-match winning streak across competitions, also leading them to drop to the second rank in the league table with 18 points in six games.
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Now, as Real Madrid are head to their second Champions League game of the campaign, Federico Valverde spoke about how the Spanish squad has been dealing with Saturday’s defeat, mentioning that Los Blancos have to bring on ‘changes as quickly as possible’ to avoid such results.
On Monday, the Uruguayan star mentioned that the squad had ‘many conversations’ with head coach Xabi Alonso and told reporters,
“They were two very tough days, very upset by the defeat. We talked a lot; since I’ve been at Madrid, that’s rarely happened, so many conversations. We have to change as quickly as possible. We emphasized the attitude on the pitch,” as per GOAL.
“Also with the coach, there were many conversations. We have to change as quickly as possible. We emphasized the attitude on the pitch. Also with the coach, there were many conversations. [On Tuesday], the first game, to change all that.”
Valverde also shared his take on Real Madrid’s display in the derby and added,
“These are games where you don’t even need to shout in the locker room to get motivated. These things can’t happen, not at Madrid or anywhere else. You have to motivate yourself with any game, especially in a derby. We can fail in many ways, but attitude is non-negotiable. It’s the first step to show that we want to win.”
“We came out as if a draw would do the trick. We have to change that, starting with this game. As a key player for this team, we have to move on from that moment and take this game as an opportunity to grow.”
Real Madrid captain Fede Valverde addresses his own form on the pitch
Valverde went on to share an analysis of his own form as of late, mentioning that he will ‘keep working’ to improve.
“I’m a little frustrated. I’m aware of how I’m playing; I’m the first to know when things aren’t going my way. Now it’s much harder for me to feel comfortable on the pitch. I’ll keep working. As captain, I’ll continue to lead the group and stand up for myself when I play.”
The 27-year-old midfielder listed what he and Los Blancos would aim for in their upcoming match and concluded,
“Trying to change what happened the other day, come out with a different attitude and win. Let it be a little revenge to change the dynamic.”
Real Madrid will face Kazakhstan Premier League club FC Kairat in their next Champions League match on September 30 at Pavlodar Central Stadium.
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