Madrid, Feb 27 (EFE).– Atletico Madrid pulled out a gritty 1-0 victory Saturday over crosstown rival Real Madrid, with Antoine Griezmann scoring the game’s only goal shortly after halftime at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The loss was a crushing blow to the La Liga hopes of the Blancos, who still have three months of domestic games to play but will now shift all their focus to the Champions League and their quest for an 11th title in that competition.

As expected, Atleti sought to stymie Real Madrid’s high-powered attack by keeping their lines close together, forcing Zinedine Zidane to make tactical adjustments in his Madrid derby debut.

Employing a 4-4-2 formation and a highly disciplined approach, Atletico Madrid’s head coach, Diego Simeone, allowed the hosts to dominate ball possession without fear they would be able to pick apart his club’s well-organized defense.

The strategy worked to perfection, with Real Madrid’s first shot on target not coming until after the first half-hour of play – a free kick by Cristiano Ronaldo that Jan Oblak easily corralled.

Atletico had two excellent chances to open the scoring late in the first half, but Costa Rican net minder Keylor Navas proved up to the task in snuffing out chances by Griezmann and Koke.

The game’s dynamics clearly required a bold move by Zidane, who opted at halftime to replace star striker Karim Benzema, still recovering from a hip injury and not in top form, with 18-year-old Borja Mayoral, Real Madrid’s top youth prospect.

The Blancos came out aggressively at the start of the second half, with Ronaldo finding himself unmarked in Atleti’s area and getting off a shot that grazed the woodwork.

But it was precisely when the game started to open up that the Colchoneros dealt their rivals a lethal blow in the 53rd minute.

Griezmann won a battle for the ball in midfield and patiently dribbled the ball to the penalty box arc before dishing off to Filipe Luis on the left side.

The Brazilian then delivered a one-touch pass back to Griezmann who fired a shot just inside the post that gave Navas no chance.

The fans became increasingly frustrated and voiced their displeasure with club president Florentino Perez. Their displeasure was even more pronounced 15 minutes later when Ronaldo had a golden opportunity to tie the contest but sent a header right into Oblak’s hands.

Real Madrid desperately tried to get the equalizer in the waning minutes, the final try going to waste when Danilo fired wide.

“The Liga is finished,” Zidane said afterward, refusing to sugarcoat Real Madrid’s dire situation with 12 matches remaining and FC Barcelona holding a nine-point lead over the Blancos with a game in hand.

“It’s my responsibility. The players play, but I have to look for solutions so it doesn’t happen again. It’s the first home loss (since he took over as head coach in early January). I wasn’t expecting it. I knew it would be a tough match. When you have chances, you have to take them,” Zidane added.

Atletico Madrid, which has lost twice to Barça this La Liga season, now has 58 points and trails the Catalans by five.

Barcelona plays fifth-placed Sevilla on Sunday night at Camp Nou.

EFE