Liga Preview: Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
The Madrid derby is played down by many in order to keep Barcelona as the number one enemy, but don't be fooled. The hatred between El Real and Atleti is fervent and will be at boiling point on Sunday night.
The Madrid derby is played down by many in order to keep Barcelona as the number one enemy, but don't be fooled.
The hatred between El Real and Atleti is fervent and will be at boiling point on Sunday night.
The red and white half of the Spanish capital have just embarked on their centenary celebrations and they have only one thing in mind to kick off a special year. Beating Real on their own ground.
Last time the two teams met in teh Bernabeu, Barça bound Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored twice as Atlético romped to a resounding 3-1 victory.
Since then, of course, Madrid have won two European Cups and Atleti have spent two years in the Segunda A.
But times have changed and Luis Aragones has instilled a new purpose in his team and president Jesus Gil has given them a new reason to hate him.
The mercurial Atleti supremo publicly slagged his players off after they recorded their third consecutive defeat two weeks ago and then spent the next week apologising.
But it seemed to work as the team regrouped and gave Deportivo a 3-1 beating before finishing off Bernd Schuster's Xerex in the Copa del Rey in midweek.
Real, meanwhile, are progressing steadily towards to another title as they moved into second place in the table with a 1-0 win at Celta Vigo last weekend.
The winner here though is playing for the pride of Madrid.
FORM GUIDE
Real Madrid: Last Six Matches WWWDWW
Vicente Del Bosque's side have clocked up seven consecutive wins and will be desperate to make it eight against Atletico. But the three points ar vital if they are to keep pace with Real Sociedad and not just for local pride.
Atletico de Madrid: Last Six Matches: LLLWWW
After losing three league games on the trot, Atleti bounced back with two wins over Xerez in the Copa del Rey and a confident victory against Deportivo last weekend. They remain just outside the European places and could do with the points to push them back into contention.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid: The European champions will have full complement to choose from after Fernando Hierro made a successful come back in the second leg clash with Terrassa in the Copa del Rey in midweek. He will slot into the centre of defence alongside Ivan Helguera in place of Francisco Pavon.
Atletico de Madrid: Luis Aragones also has a strong squad to choose from with Demetrio Albertini declaring he will be fit. Jose Mari, who scored the third goal in Atleti's 3-1 victory three years ago, will play just behind Fernando Torres.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid: (4-4-2) Casillas, Salgado, Hierro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos, Makelele, Flavio, Figo, Raúl, Zidane, Ronaldo.
Atletico de Madrid: (4-5-1) Burgos, Contra, Sergi, García Calvo, Hibic, Albertini, Emerson, Luis García, Jorge, José Mari, Fernando Torres.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ronaldo (Real Madrid): If the Brazilian striker wants to pay off a large chunk of the £29million fee he cost Madrid in the summer then he needs to produce a matchwinning performance here.
Fernando Torres (Atletico de Madrid): After all the talk surrounding the young forward in the build-up to the derby, the pressure will be on him to see if he can perform on the biggest stage.