Vinicius Jr., with two goals that rescued his team when it was needed most, guided Real Madrid to a victory over Atlético (3-2), keeping them in the fight for the league, as an unrelenting pursuer of a Barcelona that secured the 29th round with a lackluster win over Rayo, enough to reach the FIFA break with a four-point lead. With nine rounds to go, Hansi Flick's team depends on itself to defend its success in La Liga, but it must still visit Atlético on April 4 and host Real Madrid on May 10 in a match that could decide the championship. In a derby full of twists, which Atlético led at the end of the first half thanks to a goal from Ademola Lookman, and Madrid took control after the break, Álvaro Arbeloa's team once again showed its undeniable ability to survive. A penalty executed by Vinicius and a goal from Fede Valverde in three minutes at the start of the second half seemed to tip the game in their favor, even after Nahuel Molina became the unexpected rojiblanco hero with a great goal from outside the area (min. 66), because Vini again gave them the lead six minutes later. However, Valverde's red card for a tackle from behind on Alex Baena forced them to suffer for twenty minutes, including a shot off the post by Julián Álvarez, which silenced a Santiago Bernabéu that erupted in joy with a victory that not only prevents a near-decisive advantage for Barcelona, but also morally reassembles them for the decisive stretch of the tournament.
