Real Madrid Women beat Atletico Madrid 3:2 in the opening match of the Primera División season on Saturday evening. The result puts the hosts on three points in sixth place, while Atletico sit ninth with none after their first defeat. The match opened with a sharp exchange of goals, but the decisive moments came later when both sides lost players to red cards.
F. Schroder gave Real Madrid the lead in the eighth minute, and S. Toletti equalised for Atletico shortly after. Real responded well, with S. Jensen scoring twice before half-time, and Schroder adding a third just before the break. By then, the visitors looked rattled, and Real Madrid carried a two-goal cushion into the second half.
And here's the thing about matches like this — the turning point often comes when someone steps off the pitch. Schroder's red card in the 55th minute changed everything for Real Madrid. Atletico pulled one back through Gio Garbelini, who also saw red, but the hosts held firm despite being a player short. To be fair, neither side looked like conceding again.
The statistics tell a different story from the scoreboard. Atletico dominated possession at 61 per cent and registered 124 attacks compared to Real's 48. Yet Real Madrid's four shots on target yielded three goals, while Atletico's nine attempts produced only one. The old head settled them down when it mattered, and the away end never stopped, but the result spoke for itself.
Real Madrid's win marks a strong start to their campaign, building on confidence from recent victories including a 1:0 triumph over Atletico in May. The visitors, meanwhile, will rue missed opportunities after their heavy defeat to Real Sociedad earlier this season. Both teams now know what they need to improve before the next round.