Real Madrid’s Midfield Woes Resurface After Atlético Loss

Real Madrid’s Midfield Woes Resurface After Atlético Loss Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat at Atlético Madrid on Sunday has left José Mourinho’s side fourth in La Liga after seven matches, six points behind leaders Barcelona, according to The Athletic. The result has reignited the club’s long-running dispute with Spanish referees while also surfacing renewed concern inside the club about the team’s football. Huijsen’s Red Card Sets Off Madrid’s Response The game turned at 0-0 when Dean Huijsen fouled Giuliano Simeone in the box, with Alejandro Grimaldo converting the resulting penalty before Huijsen was sent off. Mourinho arrived at his post-match press conference armed with a printout of two Atlético incidents – Cristian Romero’s challenge on Jude Bellingham and Lee Kang-in’s on Federico Valverde – which he argued should also have produced red cards. Real Madrid TV followed the coach’s lead in criticising the officiating, and an official club statement took aim at La Liga president Javier Tebas for intervening in defence of Spanish referees. Days later, the Spanish FA’s refereeing committee said Lee should have been dismissed for his challenge on Valverde, while ruling that Romero’s yellow card and Huijsen’s red card had both been correctly given. The Football Problems Behind the Anger Beneath the officiating row, club sources cited by The Athletic pointed to something more familiar: a lack of control in midfield and an attitude among players that echoed last season’s struggles. One source close to a first-teamer called the Atlético performance a disaster precisely because nothing had changed, while another suggested the problem with the football mattered more than any problem with referees. Real Madrid had won six of their opening seven games in all competitions before the derby, with the sole blemish a 1-0 loss at Real Betis. Against Atlético, though, Kylian Mbappé, Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior combined for no shots on target , a stat The Athletic links to the continued absence of the creative midfielder Mourinho had wanted signed over the summer. Kylian Mbappé Mourinho and the Club Push Back Publicly, Mourinho and the club’s messaging stayed fixed on the officiating. Privately, though, The Athletic reports that Mourinho and his staff acknowledged the need for self-criticism, with sources close to the coach expressing confidence that Madrid can close the gap on Barcelona over the course of a long league season. What Happens Next for Real Madrid Madrid will not play again until October 10, when Villarreal visit the Bernabéu, leaving Mourinho and his staff a three-week international break to address the issues exposed at the Metropolitano.