Atlético thwart Real with late leveller in disrupted Madrid derby

Yesterday at 05:37 PM

The Madrid derby was stopped for 15 minutes after two PA announcements failed to stop supporters in the south stand at the Estadio Metropolitano throwing missiles at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke approached the end in an attempt to get them to stop while Joséma Giménez got involved in a discussion with supporters, including some wearing balaclavas, before the referee, Mateo Busquets Ferrer, took the teams off the pitch.

They eventually returned at 10.42pm, with around 20 minutes still to play, during which Atlético scored a late, late equaliser, Angel Correa bundling in at the very end. According to La Liga protocols, another incident would have led to the permanent suspension of the match. Fortunately, that did not happen but the fall out will continue. Perhaps the best city derby in Europe – the only one to have been played out in a European Cup final – has been marked with abuse in recent years, including racist chanting aimed at Vinícius Jnr, and now it had been suspended.