Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu sets the stage for the 236th Madrid Derby as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid trade tackles in a blockbuster La Liga encounter.

Joselu’s double inspired Real Madrid to a Pyrrhic 2-0 victory at Getafe in midweek La Liga action. Despite leapfrogging surprise package Girona into the table’s summit, ‘Los Blancos’ lost Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni to injury and suspension, respectively. Manager Carlo Ancelotti needs all hands on deck if he’s to outperform his Atletico counterpart Diego Simeone for the second time in a third El Derbi Madrileno in 2024 (W1, L1). Despite a long-standing personnel crisis, ‘Los Merengues’ head into proceedings in high spirits, looking to extend an eye-catching nine-game unbeaten H2H run on home turf (W5, D4). Further confidence stems from Real Madrid’s near-perfect La Liga record at the Santiago Bernabeu this season (W9, D1), with Ancelotti’s side scoring 25 goals and conceding just six in return across those ten matches.

In the meantime, Atletico Madrid avenged a Supercopa de Espana semi-final heartbreak with a pulsating 4-2 extra-time win in Copa del Rey action last month and have since won four competitive games in succession by an aggregate score of 6-1. But despite grabbing a last-gasp 2-1 home win against Rayo Vallecano in midweek to make it three La Liga triumphs on the trot, ‘Los Rojiblancos’ trail their cross-city rivals by ten points at the start of this round. With their title hopes in tatters, nothing less than another victory will do for Simeone’s lads, who had lost four successive away league matches before squeaking past relegation-threatened Granada 1-0 last time out. Given Simeone’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach, it’s somewhat surprising that the win marked Atletico Madrid’s first clean sheet in nine away games, all competitions included.