Madrid Derby: Atletico Madrid Face Real Madrid in La Liga Showdown
Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will face off in the latest Madrid derby on Sunday evening at the Wanda Metropolitano. Diego Simeone’s Atletico side is third in La Liga with 15 points from seven matches, while Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid sit second with 17 points, four behind leaders Barcelona.
Match Preview
Atletico Madrid, La Liga champions in 2020-21, have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the 2024-25 campaign with four wins and three draws, leaving them only two points behind their city rivals. Known for their strong defense, Atletico have conceded just three goals in the league and kept five clean sheets in their last six matches. After a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano last weekend, they bounced back with a 1-0 win against Celta Vigo thanks to a late Julian Alvarez goal.
Atletico will take confidence from their 3-1 win over Real Madrid in last season’s corresponding fixture, but they face a formidable challenge as Real Madrid remain unbeaten in their last 39 La Liga games, closing in on Barcelona’s all-time record of 43 games.
Real Madrid, last season’s La Liga and Champions League winners, are strong contenders for both competitions once again, especially with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe over the summer. However, Mbappe will miss this derby due to injury, joining Brahim Diaz, Dani Ceballos, and David Alaba on the sidelines. Real Madrid, unbeaten this season with five wins and two draws, are coming off a five-game winning streak in all competitions, including a 3-1 Champions League win over Stuttgart.
Team News
Atletico Madrid will be without Cesar Azpilicueta, Thomas Lemar, and Pablo Barrios, but Diego Simeone has a strong squad available, with key players like Rodrigo De Paul, Samuel Lino, and Julian Alvarez expected to return to the starting XI. Conor Gallagher, a summer signing from Chelsea, is also set for his first Madrid derby appearance.
For Real Madrid, the absence of Mbappe will likely see Ancelotti switch to a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Jude Bellingham playing behind Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. Dani Carvajal is back from injury, and Eduardo Camavinga is also available after recovering from a knee issue.
Possible Lineups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Le Normand, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
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