South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in of Spanish La Liga side Atletico Madrid made a strong impression in his first Madrid derby, playing a crucial role in his team's victory.

Atletico Madrid secured a 2-1 win against Real Madrid, which was reduced to 10 men, in their 2026-2027 La Liga Round 7 home match held yesterday (local time, Sept. 20) at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

Claiming their third consecutive win, Atletico (16 points) climbed to second place in the standings, while Real Madrid (15 points) suffered their second loss of the season and dropped to fourth.

Lee, who joined Atletico ahead of this season, started as a twin striker alongside Jonathan David in a 4-4-2 formation. He played 89 minutes until being substituted in the 89th minute (89th minute of the second half), delivering a stellar performance by serving as the catalyst for both of Atletico's goals.

However, Lee did not record an offensive point as his two shots on the day were both blocked by the goalkeeper.

In the 15th minute of the first half, Lee dribbled into the right side of the penalty area, shook off a defender, and delivered a left-footed cross toward David, who was lurking near the left side of the goal box. However, David's header missed the target, leaving a sense of regret.

In the 32nd minute of the first half, Lee sought to score with a powerful left-footed curling shot from just outside the right side of the penalty area, but his attempt was thwarted by a diving save from the goalkeeper.

There was also a dangerous foul situation.

In the 45th minute of the first half, Lee tackled Real Madrid's Federico Valverde from behind in midfield, stepping on his ankle.

While the referee only whistled for a foul and did not issue a yellow card, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho sparked controversy after the match by pulling out a photo of Lee's foul during the post-match press conference and arguing that it should have been a red card.

Ending the first half scoreless at 0-0, Atletico finally broke the deadlock 8 minutes into the second half via a penalty kick, with Lee initiating the sequence that led to the spot kick.

Under pressure from Real Madrid on the lower right side of his own half, Lee successfully escaped the press with a long diagonal pass to the other side. Central defender David Hancko, who received the ball, advanced and sent a penetrative forward pass.

As Giuliano Simeone received Hancko's pass and drove into the penalty area, he was brought down by a foul from Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen.

The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot and, following a video review, handed Huijsen a red card.

Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up as the penalty kicker for Atletico and converted the opening goal.

In the 11th minute of the second half, Lee unleashed a left-footed shot from near the right side of the penalty arc, which went straight into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Atletico doubled their lead in the 14th minute of the second half, another goal sparked by Lee's left foot.

Receiving the ball on the right side of the opponent's half, Lee sent a forward pass to Simeone. Simeone then delivered a cross that David, charging toward the center of the goal, slid in and pushed home with his left foot.

Atletico substituted Lee off for Morten Hjulmand in the 44th minute of the second half, and Lee returned to the bench amid applause from the fans.

Although Atletico conceded a goal shortly after to Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger, they held on to prevent any further scoring and wrapped up a 2-1 victory.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)