MADRID, Spain -- On the touchline, Diego Simeone was crying. Julián Álvarez had just put Atletico Madrid 4-2 up against Real Madrid , curling a free kick past Thibaut Courtois to decisively shift the derby in Atletico's favour and perhaps kickstart their season.

For Simeone, it was all too much. He rubbed his face, almost sinking to his knees, before smiling, rubbing his eyes again, and covering his face with his hands. He did his best, but there was no hiding it: these were tears, an outpouring of relief and joy, of pressure released.

In an instant, on the biggest stage, against their biggest rivals, Atletico's difficult, demoralising start to the season had been swept away. At the Metropolitano, they were delivering an electric, historic performance, and anything seemed possibl

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