Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid enter derby in sparkling form
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid clash this weekend, and the fixture could not come at a better time.
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid clash this weekend, and the fixture could not come at a better time.
When two of Spain’s giants meet, the occasion can certainly seem larger than life. For the 2017-18 season’s first Madrid derby, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid were unable to find a breakthrough moment in a 0-0 draw back in November.
However, Sunday at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu should not see the same result, and fans should be expecting a thrilling encounter. Only four points separate second-place Atlético from third-place Real, and recent matches show two sides bursting with quality in the attack.
Los Merengues are coming off a stunning 3-0 victory at Juventus in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday. A remarkable overall performance from Cristiano Ronaldo featured one of the finest goals in recent memory, one that left goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon frozen on his line.
It was the team’s sixth consecutive win across all competitions, and Zinedine Zidane has his players focused on positive results.
At the other end, Los Colchoneros and manager Diego Simeone can counter with a strong defence and a front-line that has been putting up goals in bunches.
Striker Antoine Griezmann has been dominant, scoring all goals in a recent 4-0 win versus Leganés and adding another on Thursday in Atlético’s 2-0 UEFA Europa League victory against Sporting CP.
The reverse fixture was a battle of two sides afraid to take too much of a chance, and run the risk of losing an important game.
However, with confidence high, a key will be each side’s ability to maintain possession and create meaningful opportunities in the final third. For the visitors, Gabi and Koke will be critical, while the home side must count on Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle.
Coming off mid-week matches, fatigue and squad rotation may have some influence on team selections.
El Derbi madrileño always provides incredible energy, and Sunday will likely also produce incredible entertainment.