Arda Turan scored late on as Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu in La Liga this evening.

The two sides were level at 1-1 entering the final 15 minutes following goals from Tiago and Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Turan's curling effort after 76 minutes secured a vital three points for the Spanish champions.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two capital rivals.

Match statistics

Real Madrid
Shots: 21
On target: 4
Possession: 64%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12

Atletico Madrid
Shots: 9
On target: 2
Possession: 36%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12

Was the result fair?

It was vintage Atletico this evening, with the champions soaking up the pressure for long spells before securing all three points in the latter stages. Statistics rarely paint a false picture in football and the fact that Real Madrid dominated almost all of the major areas this evening would suggest that the home side were unlucky to suffer defeat. However, the majority of Real Madrid's attempts were from distance, while they hardly threatened in the second 45 minutes. On the balance of play, a draw would not have been an unjust result, but Atletico got stronger as the second half advanced, with their introductions from the bench proving crucial in terms of the three points. As expected, Real Madrid dominated possession at the Bernabeu, but they really struggled to create clear openings in the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid's performance

It is now back-to-back league defeats for Real Madrid, who lost at Real Sociedad before the international break. It is still early days in terms of La Liga, but they are now six points behind leaders Barcelona and four behind second-place Atletico. The gap of points is hardly ideal, but Carlo Ancelotti will be more worried about his team's performance. They did show good character to respond after falling 1-0 behind in the early stages and should have entered the interval with the lead after creating a number of opportunities in the latter stages of the first period. Los Blancos simply failed to show up in the second, however, and Atletico were worth their late goal. Ronaldo always looked dangerous in the final third, but again Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema failed to influence proceedings for long spells. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were also both quiet, while the marking for Atletico's first goal was really poor. Ancelotti has a squad of star names this season, but it still isn't quite working in terms of shape and balance. Towards the end of last season, Real Madrid went on a brilliant defensive run, but at the moment they look like conceding every time they take to the field.

Atletico Madrid's performance

In truth, there were no real surprises from Atletico this evening. Diego Simeone knows what he is going to get from his team - commitment, work-rate and incredible desire. It came as a slight shock when the teamsheets were handed in and Raul Jimenez was in the XI, but Simeone's options from the bench sent out a strong message. At times last season, the Argentine could not make many changes due to the size of his squad, but times have changed. Turan eventually proved the difference from the sidelines, but Antoine Griezmann and Mario Suarez both played their part in the latter stages. New signing Alessio Cerci did not feature, which is a demonstration of their strength. Atletico had to ride their luck for spells of the first period, with Real Madrid coming on strong after levelling through Ronaldo, but they looked the stronger team as the second period developed and it was not much of a surprise when the champions took the lead late on. Defensively, Atletico were strong, while Tiago and Koke were both brilliant in the middle of the park. A number of their key players departed in the summer, but Atletico are not going anywhere this season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Arda Turan: There were a number of impressive performers for Atletico this evening, but it was Turan that changed the course of the match. The Turkish international was given the final 30 minutes on his return from injury and he answered Simeone's call with a brilliant display. He might have found the back of the net three minutes before he actually scored, but his effort bent just wide of the post. Turan did not pass up his next chance, however, as the attacker curled a superb strike into the bottom corner from just inside the box. It wasn't just his goal that made the difference, however, with his presence on the field lifting those around him.

Biggest gaffe

There were a number of incidents that could have been highlighted in this category, but Real Madrid's defending for Atletico's opener must be addressed. Koke's corner was delivered towards the near post and Tiago had the simple task of heading into the back of the net from close range. Benzema appeared to be marking the midfielder, but simply did not move towards the ball. It was really poor from a team that should know better.

Referee performance

As expected, it was a difficult evening for Antonio Mateu. The referee issued an incredible 11 yellow cards at the Bernabeu, which is a demonstration of the feistiness between the two teams. The major incident occured in the first half when Ronaldo went down inside the Atletico box under a challenge from Guilherme Siqueira and replays confirmed that it was the correct decision to award a penalty. Both teams took their frustration out on Mateu during spells of the match, but overall, the Spaniard had a fairly solid night, taking into account the circumstances.

What next?

Real Madrid: Los Blancos open their Champions League campaign with a group match at home to Basel on Tuesday, before returning to La Liga action away to Deportivo La Coruna next Saturday.

Atletico Madrid: Atletico also open their Champions League campaign with a clash away to Olympiacos on Tuesday, before facing Celta Vigo at home next Saturday.