Around Europe: Madrid go eight points clear as Xavi admits Barca are in a 'negative spiral'
ON FIRE: Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring the opener in the Madrid derby on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu
In the final minute of the 279th Madrid derby, the fans in the south end of the Santiago Bernabéu began to belt out their version of Bad Moon Rising, the opening bar asking Atlético how they were feeling. High in the opposite corner, where just a hundred away supporters sat in silence, all too aware that they faced a long wait in the cold before they began the walk home, the answer was: pretty flat.
Their team had not played badly but an early goal in either half, first from Karim Benzema then from Marco Asensio, was enough to defeat them again. Worse, they knew it was probably enough for the defence of their league title to be derailed in December.




