Madrid derby ends level after objects thrown on pitch halts game

The Madrid derby was suspended midway through the second half of Sunday's 1-1 draw between Real and Atleti, after Atlético fans behind one of the goals at the Metropolitano repeatedly threw objects onto the pitch.

Éder Militão had put visitors Real Madrid 1-0 ahead in the 64th minute of the LaLiga match, when Atlético fans in the "Fondo Sur" at the other end of the stadium began to throw objects -- including plastic bottles -- onto the pitch, near to Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The fans were warned to stop in messages on the stadium loudspeakers, and coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke both went across to speak to them, urging calm.

When more items were thrown, referee Mateo Busquets called the two teams off the pitch, and an announcement was made that the game would be suspended for 10 minutes.

"I think it was the correct decision by the referee," visiting manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "We had to stop for 10 minutes. It was the right thing to do. Nobody likes to stop the game, everybody wanted to play, but I think the referee did well."

After a delay of over 20 minutes the players returned to the pitch and the game resumed in the 69th minute.

Ángel Correa equalised in the 96th minute to make it 1-1 -- in a goal awarded by VAR, after it was first disallowed for offside -- before Átletico's Marcos Llorente was sent off for a challenge on Fran García.

The interruption came a day after the Spanish league said it would ask police to act against the promoters of a social media campaign that the league said was aimed at promoting racist acts against Vinícius Júnior at the derby.

The social media campaign was based on a hashtag encouraging Atlético fans to wear face masks, apparently to make it more difficult for authorities to identify individuals who participate in racist chants or insults.