 Falcao played his first Madrid Derby against Real Madrid on 11 April 2012.He had missed the first match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium due to injury, and scored Atlético's only goal as his side fell 4–1 due to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick.He scored his 22nd goal of the season against Rayo Vallecano in a crucial 1–0 victory for Atlético.