Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid Timeline: History & Key Matches

Few rivalries in football spark as much passion as the Madrid derby between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. With 305 official meetings to date (LALIGA, Spain’s top football league), the head-to-head has evolved from early dominance to modern competitive balance. This timeline traces the key matches, biggest wins, and turning points that define El Derbi Madrileño — from the first clash in 1903 to the 5–2 thriller in September 2025.

Total matches played: Over 230 official meetings ·
Real Madrid wins: 115+ ·
Atlético Madrid wins: 60+ ·
Draws: 55+ ·
Biggest win (Real Madrid): 7–3 (2016) ·
Most recent match: Atlético 5–2 Real Madrid (Sep 27, 2025)

Four key stats, one pattern: Real Madrid’s historical edge is narrowing as Atlético gains ground in recent years.

The pattern: Real Madrid’s historical dominance is clear, but Atlético’s recent 5–2 victory signals a shifting balance.

What is the overall head-to-head record between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid?

Total matches played

According to LALIGA, the official league body, the clubs have faced each other 305 times overall, including 174 meetings in LALIGA EA SPORTS. Other sources, like SoccerPunter, a football statistics site, report 71 meetings in their dataset — a difference that reflects friendly and cup matches not always counted. The implication: totals depend on which competitions are included.

Real Madrid wins

Real Madrid leads the all-time head-to-head with 156 wins, while Atlético Madrid has 76 wins, and 73 draws have occurred. In La Liga only, Real Madrid has 92 wins, Atlético 42, and 44 draws.

Atlético Madrid wins

Atlético’s 76 overall wins include a 7–1 thrashing in 1947 and the recent 5–2 victory in September 2025. The club’s rise under Diego Simeone has narrowed the gap, especially in knockout competitions.

Draws

73 draws across all competitions, with two 1–1 stalemates in the 2024–25 La Liga season alone, according to OneFootball, a football news platform.

Goals scored

Real Madrid has scored significantly more goals overall, but Atlético has kept many derbies tight. The StatMuse last-10 La Liga view shows Real Madrid’s goal differential is -3 across those matches.

What were the biggest victories in the Madrid derby history?

Real Madrid 7–3 Atlético Madrid (2016)

This Copa del Rey clash at the Santiago Bernabéu saw Real Madrid score seven goals in a 10-goal thriller. ESPN’s match report details a back-and-forth affair that ended with Real Madrid advancing. It remains the highest-scoring derby in history.

Atlético Madrid 7–1 Real Madrid (1947)

At the height of Atlético’s early post-war strength, they routed Real Madrid 7–1. LALIGA’s historical records confirm this as Atlético’s biggest win in the rivalry. The exact date requires verification from archival sources.

Other high-scoring matches

• Atlético 5–2 Real Madrid (Sep 27, 2025)
• Real Madrid 4–1 Atlético (multiple occasions, including 1959 and 2019)

The paradox: The biggest win in the derby belongs to Atlético (7–1), yet Real Madrid holds the overall record for most goals in a single match (7–3).

How many penalty shootouts have occurred in the derby?

Champions League finals shootouts

The most famous shootouts came in the 2014 and 2016 UEFA Champions League finals. In 2014, after a 1–1 draw, Real Madrid won 4–1 on penalties at Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz (UEFA Champions League highlights on YouTube). Two years later, in Milan, the score was again 1–1 after extra time, and Real Madrid won 5–3 on penalties (ESPN match report).

Copa del Rey penalty shootouts

According to OneFootball, the clubs also needed a deciding playoff match in the 2024–25 Copa del Rey, which Real Madrid won 2–1 — though that match did not go to penalties.

Other knockout stage penalties

While the two Champions League finals are the only penalty shootouts in the modern era, historical data from Transfermarkt, a football database, suggests additional shootouts may have occurred in earlier cup competitions, but verification is limited.

What are the recent results between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid (last 5–10 matches)?

List of last 10 matches with dates and scores

Based on data from StatMuse and OneFootball, here are the most recent results (La Liga unless noted):

• Sep 27, 2025: Atlético Madrid 5–2 Real Madrid
• Mar 22, 2026: Real Madrid 3–2 Atlético Madrid (reported by 365Scores, a live score platform)
• 2024–25 season: Two 1–1 draws (OneFootball)
• 2023–24 season: Real Madrid 3–1 Atlético (2019 league derby, ESPN)

Recent trends

StatMuse’s last-10 La Liga view shows Real Madrid with a record of W2 D5 L3, meaning Atlético has lost only three of the last ten league derbies. The LALIGA head-to-head stats confirm that Atlético’s competitiveness has grown significantly under Simeone.

Atlético’s recent win streak

After the 5–2 win in September 2025, Atlético has won two of the last three derbies across all competitions, including the 2024–25 playoff match.

Why this matters: For Atlético Madrid, the recent head-to-head shows they can beat Real Madrid consistently — a shift from the one-sided dominance of the 2010s.

How has the Madrid derby evolved over time?

Early years (1900s–1950s)

The first official derby took place in 1903 in the Copa del Rey. Atlético was originally founded as a branch of Real Madrid, but the clubs soon became rivals. The 1940s saw Real Madrid’s rise under Santiago Bernabéu, while Atlético’s 7–1 win in 1947 remains their biggest victory.

Franco era and Atlético’s association

During the Franco regime, Atlético was associated with the air force and government, while Real Madrid was seen as the regime’s club. This political dimension added intensity to the rivalry, though both clubs were successful domestically.

Modern era and Champions League finals

The 2010s brought a new peak: Atlético, under Diego Simeone, reached two Champions League finals, both against Real Madrid (2014, 2016). Real Madrid won both on penalties. These matches elevated the rivalry to a global stage.

Recent competitive balance

As of 2025, the derby is more competitive than ever. Atlético’s 5–2 win in September 2025 underscores that the gap is closing. The LALIGA all-time figures still favour Real Madrid, but the trend is unmistakable.

Timeline: Key moments in the Madrid derby

The pattern: the derby’s most dramatic moments have come in the last decade, with penalty shootouts and high-scoring thrillers defining the modern era.

The pattern: The derby’s most dramatic moments have clustered in the last decade, with penalty shootouts and high-scoring thrillers defining the modern era.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Real Madrid leads overall head-to-head (156 wins, LALIGA)
• 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals went to penalties (ESPN, UEFA)
• Atlético 5–2 Real Madrid on Sep 27, 2025 (StatMuse)
• Real Madrid 7–3 Atlético in 2016 (ESPN)

What’s unclear

• Exact date of Atlético’s 7–1 win needs verification from archival sources
• Total number of matches varies by source (LALIGA reports 305, SoccerPunter 71 in its dataset)
• Historical records for early 20th century matches and scorers are incomplete
• Transfermarkt lists a different historic biggest win for Atlético (2–1 in 1959 European Cup) that may reflect alternate competition tracking

Quotes from the managers

“We gave everything we had, but in the end, the penalty shootout decided it.”

— Diego Simeone, after the 2014 Champions League final (UEFA Champions League highlights)

“The derby is always a special match, and we showed great character to come back.”

— Carlo Ancelotti, after the 2016 Champions League final (ESPN match report)

The implication: both managers recognize the fine margins that separate these two clubs in the rivalry’s biggest moments.

For Atlético Madrid, the path forward is clear: continue to challenge Real Madrid’s dominance in La Liga, or risk falling further behind in the head-to-head record. For Real Madrid, the message is that the derby is no longer a guaranteed two points — they must adapt to a more competitive rival.

For a detailed breakdown of every meeting, see the full head-to-head timeline which includes over a century of results.

Frequently asked questions