Atletico Madrid have the opportunity to avenge their 2014 Champions League final loss to city rivals Real Madrid when they take on Los Blancos in the competition’s showpiece on Saturday.
Throughout history, the rivalry between the two sides has been more like a class struggle from the Marxian theories, with Real Madrid holding the upper hand. Los Blancos have always represented the so called “upper class” in Mardid. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid represent the working class, as they are known as the ‘carpet-makers’.
The philosophy of football that both the sides adhere to also resonates with the class that each of these clubs represent. While Real Madrid are known for their silky display of football, Atletico have a much more practical approach to the game, giving more importance to teamwork rather than individual brilliance.
Team News & Tactical Brief
Real Madrid CF
Los Blancos have a number of injury issues going into the Champions League final this time round. The biggest injury scare for them is star man Cristiano Ronaldo, who limped off from a practice session on Tuesday after a collision with second choice goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.
The Portuguese forward has been swift to come out and say that it is a minor injury, and he expects to be 100 per cent fit before the big match. However, the Real Madrid fans would be hoping that they do not have to suffer from the same problem that effectively destroyed Atletico in the 2014 Champions League final.
Atletico’s star striker Diego Costa was carrying a slight hamstring injury going into the match, but manager Diego Simeone decided to play him. This turned out to be a bad decision however, as Costa limped off after just nine minutes, effectively leaving Atletico with just two substitutions in a game that stretched 120 minutes.
Centre-back Rafael Varane has been ruled out of the final due to a thigh injury. However, the Frenchman has not been Zidane’s regular first choice at centre-back, and Sergio Ramos and Pepe are expected to take their usual spots in front of goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Casemiro will play a crucial role for Real Madrid, trying to nip the Atletico counter attacks in the bud and providing a secure base for Real Madrid to attack from. Luka Modric is the playmaker who keeps things ticking for Real Madrid, and he might just be the key to unlocking a stubborn Atletico defence.
The Bale-Benzema-Cristiano trio can rip apart any defence on their day, but it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo reacts to his injury on Saturday. The Portuguese has a tendency to become a passenger if he is not fully fit. This could be detrimental for Real, as Altetico are arguably the best team in the world at exploiting the opposition’s weaknesses.
Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Navas; Marcelo, Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale.
Atletico Madrid
Los Colchoneros or the ‘carpet-makers’ will look at this match as their shot at redemption. They were tired out at the end of a long final in 2014, and eventually surrendered 4-1 to Real Madrid in extra time. They were handicapped in that match though, after having to take star man Diego Costa off after just nine minutes.
However, they do not have any such injury issues this time round, and manager Diego Simeone is expected to field a full strength XI against the club’s bitter rivals on Saturday night. The Argentinian manager is likely to go with his favourite 4-4-2 formation with Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann being paired up top.
Koke and Saul Niguez are expected to take charge on the wings, but both have the tendency to cut inside and operate as semi-midfielders. Saul’s brilliant goal against Bayern Munich gave Atletico Madrid the lead against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the semi-final tie. The 21-year-old will be looking to get on the ball again and trouble the likes of Marcelo from the right flank.
Simeone’s formation is a very flexible one, as he can easily shift his side over to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 from the 4-4-2, with Koke shifting into midfield, and Griezmann shifting to the wing as Atletico try to gain the advantage on the counter attack.
Since they like to play on the break though, the old fashioned 4-4-2 is their best bet for success against Real. The two forwards Torres and Griezmann can pin down the two Real centre-backs, while the Atletico midfielders try to stretch the play to the wide areas where they will look to isolate attacking fullbacks like Marcelo.
Possible Starting XI (4-4-2): Oblak; Luis, Godin, Gimenez, Juanfran; Koke, Augusto, Gabi, Saul; Torres, Griezmann.
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have not conceded a goal in six of their last seven Champions League matches.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in six of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Real Madrid have conceded less than 2.5 goals on average in their last four matches against Atletico.
- Los Blancos are undefeated in 12 of their last 13 Champions League matches.
- Atletico are unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 matches against Real.
Players to watch out for
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
There is absolutely no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player that Real Madrid have. However, it all depends on which Ronaldo turns up on the night. If the Portuguese is right on the money on Saturday, Atletico might find it a little too hard to contend with Real’s attacking impetus. However, Ronaldo is trying to recover from an injury he picked up in training and may not be fully fit even if he is named in the starting XI.
Koke (Atletico Madrid)
The Spanish midfielder is arguably the best player Atletico have in their ranks. He is crucial to the way Atletico play, swiftly converting defence into fast counter attacks. Koke is the creator in chief in the Atletico midfield, and will be trying to feed through balls to Torres and Griezmann during the game. His role becomes all the more important if Simeone decides to switch to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3.
Prediction
Real Madrid 1 – 2 Atletico Madrid
While it is set to be a rather close encounter between the two sides, Atletico Madrid might hold the edge this time around as they do not have any major injury issues. The Rojiblancos have had a couple of weeks of rest ahead of the final and should be ready to do a lot of legwork to keep their cross town rivals at bay. Two precise counter-attacks could do the trick for Simeone’s men.
Blast from the past
