Real Madrid vs Atletico result: Karim Benzema leads leaders past city rivals
Real Madrid 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Real extended their lead at the top to six points with Barcelona to play Levante on Sunday
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Karim Benzema fired Real Madrid to a 1-0 win in the city derby against Atletico Madrid on Saturday which underlined Real's La Liga title credentials.
The French forward side-footed home a cross from compatriot Ferland Mendy to break the deadlock in a tight game in the 56th minute after coach Zinedine Zidane had sprung a double substitution to give his team more width.
Benzema's strike gave Real their first home victory over Atletico in the league since 2012 and increased their lead over Barcelona at the top of the table to six points. Barca can reduce the margin to three if they beat Levante on Sunday.
Atletico are fifth and trail their local rivals by 13 points, while their injury problems deepened when striker Alvaro Morata limped off early in the second half with a suspected muscle problem.
Re-live the game as it happened:
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Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid today.
Team news
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy, Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos, Isco, Modric, Benzema.
Bench: Areola, Militao, Marcelo, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez, Jovic, Vinicius.
Atletico Madrid XI:
Oblak; Vrsaljko, Savic, Felipe, Lodi; Correa, Llorente, Thomas, Saúl; Vitolo, Morata.
Bench: Adan, Hermoso, Lemar, Carrasco, Toni Moya, Saponjic, Camello.
Team news
Zinedine Zidane again picks about 100 midfielders (okay, five) for this afternoon's Madrid derby.
Gareth Bale, subject to late interest from Tottenham on deadline day, and Eden Hazard, are missing through injury.
Five Real Madrid players keep their place after Wednesday's Copa Del Rey victory against Zaragoza.
Atleti, on the other hand, enjoyed a week off after being dumped out the cup by third-tier side Cultural Leaonesa.
Yannick Carrasco, who turned down at least one Premier League club on deadline day in favour of a return to Atleti, is on the bench for the away side.
State of play
Real Madrid are three points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table and will start to think about a first title since the 2016-17 season.
Zidane's side are in good shape and will take some beating if they come out of this unscathed with just Barcelona and Valencia of the top sides still to play.
Atletico Madrid's poor start to the season hasn't really recovered
The managers
Zinedine Zidane on the growing criticism of Diego Simeone: "I don't understand the criticism, I know how he is as a coach, he is one of the best.
"I said recently that Pep Guardiola is the best coach around and Simeone is among the best. Atletico's recent results have not changed my opinion of him."
Simeone on Zidane's compliment: "It's nice when a colleague of Zidane's calibre says something like that and I'll return the compliment," he said.
"He is the ideal coach for Real Madrid, he has got them back into the same state which he left them in.
"Real's defence has grown a lot this season and it is one of their strong points but they also have a lot of options in attack. Whoever dominates the smallest details will have a very good chance of winning."
The Thaibaut Courtois derby
The Belgian goalkeeper won four trophies during his three seasons at Atletico Madrid, he already has two at Los Blancos and a league title win and a Champions League or, more likely, Copa Del Rey and he'll have already matched that.
Some collection of medals this man has.
Real Madrid were winners via a penalty shootout in the Supercope final when these sides last met.
An impeccably observed minutes music took place just before the start.
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