What a weekend for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane. Just hours after Barcelona dropped points at home to Malaga – denied by inspired goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, it drew a Camp Nou blank for the first time in nearly two years – the league leader beat Atlético Madrid 3-0 in the final derby at the Vincente Calderon stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, timed well given the Ballon D’Or voting expires soon, but for once the headlines went to someone else: Zidane.
The build-up focused on how Atlético coach Diego Simeone would use his tactical nous to out-smart his opposite number.