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

Karim Benzema celebrates scoring Real Madrid's winning goal (Reuters)

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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[1 February 2020 15:04 · Jack Watson]

2: The stream I'm watching this on has absolutely no commentary whatsoever, the people that say they prefer to watch football with just the stadium noise are psychopaths and should be avoided at all cost.

[1 February 2020 15:05 · Jack Watson]

4: Madrid are showing off a really spicy formation, come kind of narrow setup with Casemiro dropping deep to form a three at the back.

[1 February 2020 15:09 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

6: Kroos takes a corner and mercifully doesn't try and score directly from it as he did in the Supercopa. 

Ramos has just had the best chance of the opening exchanges as he volleys the ball over from the front post. His movement to meet Kroos' cross is that of a seasoned forward's.

[1 February 2020 15:11 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

9: Alvaro Morata tries to sneak beyond the defence but Courtois eventually reads the situation and mops up. The former Real forward is on the receiving end of whistles from the crowd as he tries to suggest Varane may have flicked him in the face.

[1 February 2020 15:13 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

10: A brilliant, well-worked corner routine from Real Madrid almost gets the scoring goal.

Kross receives the ball back from Modric after taking the corner and drills it low to Ramos on the penalty spot. The central defender is leaning back and scoops an effort over.

[1 February 2020 15:15 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

13: Benzema thanks Mendy for getting him out of trouble after the Real forward plays a lazy pass straight to Morata. The full-back is quick to produce a good recovery tackle and Real live to tell the tale.

[1 February 2020 15:18 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

16: Everything good that Real Madrid do is coming from Kroos, who connects brilliantly with a loose ball and fires it over from range.

[1 February 2020 15:20 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

18: Atletico go close!

Courtois has to quickly get low to keep out Vrsaljko's effort to convert a low cross from close-range. That's Atleti's first real sight of goal.

[1 February 2020 15:21 · Jack Watson]

Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

[1 February 2020 15:23 · Jack Watson]

 Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid

22: Simeone is calling for calm as Atleti begin to enjoy their first bit of control in this game.

It's been a fairly hectic start with neither side really able to set into any kind of rhythm.