Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Yan Diomande: Five things we learned from Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid

In a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid suffered their second loss of the season, falling short in a Madrid derby match held at the RiyadhAir Metropolitano stadium. Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone scored the winning goals for Atletico, leaving Jose Mourinho's side struggling to reach their best form. Here are five key takeaways from the match:

1. Jude Bellingham shines as Real Madrid's best player - The sole bright spot for Real Madrid was Bellingham, who displayed immense effort and effort despite the team's lackluster performance. His all-round talent makes him the top performer so far in the season.

2. Valverde-Tchouameni pairing falters - Real Madrid's poor midfield control can be attributed to Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni's unsuccessful partnership. The club should consider signing a controller in January, or possibly bring back Bernardo Silva or Eduardo Camavinga from the international break.

3. Thibaut Courtois remains the world's best goalkeeper - Despite the lackluster performance from the rest of the team, Courtois once again proved his worth with crucial saves in the second half, preventing Atletico from scoring four or five goals. This highlights the need for Real Madrid to rely on their dependable goalkeeper more often.

4. Yan Diomande deserves a starting position - After starting the last two matches, Diomande was benched against Atletico, which ultimately backfired for Mourinho. His return to the starting lineup would be beneficial as Vinicius Junior currently lacks confidence. Diomande could seize his chance following the international break.

5. Marc Cucurella needs improvement - Since joining from Chelsea in the summer, Cucurella has yet to live up to expectations as Real Madrid's left-back. His poor performance against Atletico demonstrates the need for him to work hard during the international break to regain his form and possibly replace Alvaro Carreras in the starting lineup.