Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid on September 21, 2026. Following the match, Jose Mourinho used printed screenshots during his press conference to argue that two Atletico Madrid players should have been sent off during the first half.
Mourinho specifically highlighted a 37th-minute challenge by Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham and a separate incident involving Lee Kang-in and Fede Valverde. During the 37th-minute play, a VAR review resulted in the retraction of a yellow card for Bellingham, while Romero received a yellow card.
The match also saw Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen dismissed, which led to a penalty kick for Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid manager, stated that he believed his team maintained control of the match throughout the contest.
Following these results, Atletico Madrid holds second place in the La Liga standings, while Real Madrid is positioned in fourth.