Two clubs from the Spanish capital will meet this weekend in a La Liga clash.
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There is no love between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Long before Diego Simeone’s appointment as Atletico coach in December 2011, it was a very one-sided derby.
A month before that event, Real Madrid fans held aloft a banner during a clash between the teams. “Wanted: A worthy rival for a decent derby.”
They temporarily made their wish come true. There was an era between 2013 and 2016 when Atletico were unbeaten in seven La Liga matches against their home opponents, being beaten twice through Madrid in the Champions League final.
Simeone’s side went on a 12-game winless run in the league and Madrid took the lead again. But there have been more positive signs for Atletico in recent editions of the derby.
Madrid have won just one of the last 4 La Liga matches between the two. Atletico won the opposite match, 3-1 in September.
They also beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the Copa del Rey round of 16 last month, triumphing 4-2 in extra time, despite Madrid beating Atletico in the Super Cup a few days earlier.
One thing is clear: the fear factor from Atletico’s end is gone. They will begin this weekend’s contest as underdogs, but that does not mean they will arrive at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu without belief.
Even without the issue of local bragging rights, this is an important encounter for both clubs. Madrid are locked in an unlikely two-horse title race with Girona, the upstarts from Catalonia.
Atletico, meanwhile, are by no means guaranteed a top-four finish, and fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao are just five points behind.
A win for either team would be a fundamental advantage for their respective goals this season. It would also mean that they would be the kings of the city, at least for a while.
Local rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will resume hostilities at the Bernabeu this weekend, and the home merit may be key.
Real Madrid have remained quite opposite to Girona this season. Ancelotti’s men are 10 points behind Atletico and Barcelona, and both sides are expected to challenge them for the name in 2023/24.
Still, Madrid’s lead at the top of the table is only two things thanks to Girona’s usual exploits. The top two will meet in a blockbuster encounter next weekend.
In the interim, Girona will hope for a favour from Atletico. However, we do not expect them to get one.
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Madrid have a formidable home record this season, winning 28 out of 30 bets imaginable in front of their own fans. They also won all 3 Champions League organization matches at the Bernabeu.
Atlético has also performed well on familiar ground, although less so away from home. Nobody has had as many problems at home as Simeone’s team, but Atlético are only seventh in the non-La Liga standings after wasting parts of their 10 away games. from home.
Regarding this match, it was in February 2016 when Atlético last won a League match in their rival’s garden.
Atletico have played wonderful football at times this season. Simeone tends to be tactically cautious but has left his forwards out of control in recent months.
In addition to scoring 10 goals in 3 games for Madrid, they also scored 3 against Girona. They average two goals per game, a percentage only surpassed by the top two.
It remains to be seen if Simeone returns to his roots at the Bernabeu as he tries to close the deal.
Their exact strategy is hard to predict, but a team made up of the attacking talents of Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay deserves to be able to generate some chances.
Madrid, for their part, are averaging 2.5 goals per home game this term. They will also be facing an Atletico defence which has not been as solid as previous iterations.
Joselu gave Ancelotti ideas by scoring Madrid’s goals in the win over Getafe on Thursday.
Despite his efforts at the Coliseum Stadium, the 33-year-old will most likely have to settle for a place on the bench for the derby.
Madrid will most likely opt for a two-man attack consisting of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham joining when he can.
Vinicius is our pick in the anytime scorer market. His season has been disrupted by injuries, but the Brazil international has been productive when fit.
Vinicius is also the man of big occasions – think of his brilliant hat-trick against Barcelona last month.
Greg Lea is an independent footballer from London. He basically covers the Premier League and has published paintings in The Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on Twitter@GregLeaFootball
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