Madrid, Spain: In a fiercely contested Madrid derby, Real Madrid were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by their city rivals Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano. The result leaves Barcelona firmly in control of the La Liga title race.

With Barcelona suffering a surprising loss to Osasuna earlier in the day, Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table. However, the draw means they remain three points behind the Catalan giants.

The match was tense, with both teams creating chances throughout. Real Madrid finally broke the deadlock when Vinícius Júnior’s cross found Eder Militao, who headed home to give the hosts the lead.

However, Atlético Madrid refused to give up. In a nail-biting finish, Ángel Correa scored a late equalizer in the fifth minute of injury time, denying Real Madrid the victory. The match was further marred by a red card shown to Marcos Llorente in the ninth minute of stoppage time for a dangerous foul on Endrick.

The draw is a setback for Real Madrid’s title aspirations. They will now need to win their upcoming matches consistently to keep pace with Barcelona. Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, remain in the hunt for a top-four finish.