Atlético Madrid suffered another defeat in their visit to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, this time by 1-2, confirming their poor record at this stadium where they haven't won in almost a decade. After the match, José María Giménez, Atlético's defender, acknowledged his team's superiority in possession but regretted that it wasn’t enough to secure the win. "We were totally superior with the ball, but it wasn’t enough," said the Uruguayan.

Despite controlling the game and creating constant chances in the opponent’s area, the Colchoneros couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. The winning goal for Real Madrid came after a defensive mistake by Giménez, leading to Brahim Díaz's second goal. Diego Simeone, the coach, was frustrated by the defeat: "It’s not good, we were looking to win the match," he said in the press conference, highlighting that his plan didn’t work as expected.

A historic curse at the Bernabéu

The defeat at the Bernabéu didn’t come as a surprise given Atlético’s recent history at this stadium. The Colchoneros have never won a European Cup match at the Santiago Bernabéu, and their last victory at this ground dates back more than 9 years. Atlético hasn't won there since February 27, 2016, when Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal of the match to give his team the victory (1-0). Since then, they have registered 6 draws and 7 losses in their visits to the white fortress.

Despite this bitter record and the frustration of not being able to reflect their dominance on the scoreboard, Simeone took a philosophical approach after the match. "We’re still alive, and we could have a good night on Wednesday," said the Atlético coach, suggesting that revenge would come in the next match, this time at home, where his team could turn things around in front of their fans.

Homecoming, an opportunity to change history

The Argentine coach believes that the atmosphere and circumstances at Wanda Metropolitano, their stadium, will be different. With other references and the support of their fans, Atlético has the chance to change the history of their recent encounters at the Bernabéu and continue fighting for their season’s objectives.