Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid

One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the European calendar pits eternal rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid against each other in a blockbuster La Liga clash at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Marquee summer arrival Julian Alvarez saved the day in midweek La Liga action as Atletico Madrid left it late to beat Celta Vigo 1-0 and uphold their near-flawless league start (W4, D3). Diego Simeone’s charges sit only two points adrift of their visitors heading into the 237th edition of Derbi Madrileno, looking to improve a disastrous-looking all-time H2H balance sheet (W59, D61, L116). It’s hard to put it past Los Colchoneros to do just that after a 3-1 triumph in this corresponding fixture in 2023/24, which remains Real Madrid’s last defeat in La Liga. Simeone has seemingly rebuilt Atletico’s home fortunes, with his men yet to concede a league goal at the Metropolitano Stadium this term (W2, D1). Atletico’s defensive renaissance hasn’t come at the expense of their scoring efficacy, as they’ve bagged 2+ goals in three of their four competitive home outings in 2024/25.

Such an intimidating home record would perhaps strike fear into any team’s hearts, except for Real Madrid. While waiting for Kylian Mbappe to find on-field chemistry with Vinicius Junior, Los Blancos continue to thrive on multiple fronts, with a 3-2 midweek home win against Deportivo Alaves extending their unbeaten La Liga start to seven matches (W5, D2). However, Carlo Ancelotti has lost Mbappe to injury in the build-up to this clash, suggesting Los Merengues’ bid to defy an unenviable five-game form against Atletico (W1, D2, L2) could face a significant hurdle. Adding to this sentiment, Real Madrid’s last La Liga defeat on the road came on this group in September 2023 (W11, D7 since).