Brahim Diaz: The Star Performer for Real Madrid in the Clash Against Atleti

The latest clash in the Derbi Madrileno during the Champions League knockout rounds was undoubtedly a moment of jubilation in the Spanish capital on Tuesday evening.

When two of LaLiga’s top teams face off at this stage of Europe’s premier club competition, it emphasises the continued strength of football in the region.

Los Blancos had claimed two of the past six Champions League titles, although there’s been a noticeable transition since Real Madrid’s triumph over Liverpool in the 2017/18 season – marking the fifth consecutive year a Spanish club lifted the UCL trophy.

Carlo Ancelotti’s squad had another reason to celebrate at the Santiago Bernabeu, as they were welcomed by a rumble of cheers and one of the most impressive tifos seen at the esteemed venue.

This was a significant milestone for the hosts, marking their 500th match in the European Cup/Champions League—the first team ever to achieve this feat. Before this encounter, Real had recorded 301 wins in the competition (including qualifiers), alongside 85 draws and 113 defeats.

In their recent history, the all-whites had only suffered one defeat in their last 17 matches in the UCL knockout stages, boasting 11 wins and five draws, remaining unbeaten in their last nine fixtures (five wins and four draws).

The one defeat during this impressive spell occurred against Manchester City in the semi-finals of the 2022/23 season, where they faced a heavy 4-0 defeat—a match that Pep Guardiola’s side turned into a memorable night as they went on to complete a treble.

As for the clash with Atleti, the home side got off to a fantastic start, with Rodrygo netting the fastest goal in a Champions League knockout match since Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 3rd minute against Juventus in April 2018.

Julian Alvarez managed to bring the Rojiblancos back into contention with a stunning strike just before half-time, but it was ultimately Brahim Diaz who sealed the victory for Los Blancos, scoring the winning goal and giving them a slender 2-1 advantage to take into the second leg.

Diaz’s goal was a masterclass, woven together in a stunning sequence that originated from Thibaut Courtois and involved over 20 passes.

The finesse of his finish cannot be overstated.

Throughout the build-up, Diaz was pivotal, using his quick footwork to elude Giuliano Simeone and Jose Maria Gimenez, while still being closely monitored by Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente, and Clement Lenglet as he prepared to shoot.

If it weren’t for Lenglet’s slight lateral shift, which allowed Diaz a narrow opening to guide the ball through, the opportunity may have been lost.

Nevertheless, it required quick thinking and pinpoint accuracy from the Real Madrid player, who found the net right inside the far post—an angle that ensured Jan Oblak would be unable to intercept the ball.

This marked Diaz’s second goal in the current season’s campaign, having previously scored against Manchester City in February, yet it’s his overall performance that has certainly turned heads.

Notably, Diaz matched the highest number of successful tackles for any Real player against Atleti, recording three from three attempts. Given Atleti’s reputation for being the more aggressive side of Madrid, only Pablo Barrios and Jose Gimenez could match Diaz’s tackling performance.

This ‘bite’ is often deemed essential for a Real team typically known more for their attacking prowess rather than their capability to assert control defensively.

Indeed, it’s the determined nature of Diaz’s game that differentiates him in a positive way. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to describe him as more of a workhorse than a pedigree runner, yet his eagerness to push through challenges for his team is undoubtedly valued, making his selection by Carlo Ancelotti against Atleti an astute move.

He also recovered possession six times against Atleti, matching his personal best for the 2024/25 Champions League campaign, equalling the performances seen against Liverpool, despite Real Madrid losing that match 2-0.

Diaz’s involvement in 12 duels against Atleti marked a seasonal peak for him in the competition. This level of involvement was expected against formidable domestic and European rivals. Although he would likely be disappointed with winning only half of those duels, this figure was shared as the highest for the match, alongside Vinicius Jr, who also won six from eleven.

In the solitary other instance this season where he competed in 12 UCL duels – in the 3-2 league stage win over Atalanta – Diaz was notably more effective, winning the ball back nine times.

Against Diego Simeone’s side, he successfully completed 50 out of 53 passes, achieving a remarkable pass success rate of 94.1%.

In highlighting how active Diaz was on Tuesday, he recorded five touches within the opposition’s box—the highest of any player on the pitch apart from Kylian Mbappe, who also had five.

His single completed dribble equalled the efforts of his teammates, and only three Real players had more than his 76 total touches during the match, with two of them being defenders (Valverde, Mendy).

From a personal perspective, Diaz should take pride in his match-winning contribution, and it’s likely Carlo Ancelotti will take note as he prepares for the second leg.