Madrid derby ends evenly after objects thrown onto the pitch interrupt play

The Madrid derby was interrupted midway through the second half of Real's 1-1 draw with Atleti on Sunday after Atletico fans repeatedly threw objects onto the pitch behind one of the goals at the Metropolitano.

Éder Militão had given visitors Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute of the LaLiga match when Atlético fans in the “Fondo Sur” at the other end of the stadium began throwing objects – including plastic bottles – onto the pitch , near Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Fans were warned to stop by messages over the stadium loudspeakers, and coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke both came over to speak to them and urge them to remain calm.

As more objects were thrown, referee Mateo Busquets called the two teams off the field and announced that the game would be stopped for 10 minutes.

“I think it was the right decision by the referee,” said visiting coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We had to stop for ten minutes. It was the right thing to do. Nobody likes to stop the game, everyone wanted to play, but I think the referee did a good job.”

After a delay of over 20 minutes, the players returned to the field and play resumed in the 69th minute.

Ángel Correa equalized 1-1 in the 96th minute – a goal awarded by VAR after it was initially disallowed for offside – before Átletico's Marcos Llorente was sent off for a foul on Fran García.

The disruption came a day after the Spanish league said it would ask police to take action against the organizers of a social media campaign that the league said was aimed at encouraging racist acts against Vinícius Júnior at the derby.

The social media campaign was based on a hashtag that urged Atlético fans to wear face masks, apparently to make it harder for authorities to identify people engaging in racist chants or insults.