Real Madrid will look to keep their 39-game unbeaten run in La Liga intact when they hit the road to face rivals Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano.
It is time for the latest instalment of the Madrid derby as Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid prepare to face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Sunday. While it is quite early in the season, a win here is of immense importance for both teams.
Los Blancos can strengthen their case for the title defence, while Los Rojiblancos can announce themselves as serious contenders for the La Liga title. Atletico Madrid are currently third on the points table with 15 points in their seven outings. They are unbeaten but have already played out three draws and are two points behind Real Madrid, who are second on the points table.
A defeat here could be a massive blow for either team as Barcelona already have a significant lead, having won all seven of their games. As a result, both teams will go all out for all three points.
The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. While they did get the desired result thanks to a 90th-minute winner by Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid were not at their best and they will have to do much better to win against Ancelotti’s team.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who made a slow start to the season, have picked up pace of late. They have won each of their last five games across the competition and will be confident of getting the desired result against Atletico Madrid. Th Merengues are heading into this weekend’s derby on the back of a 3-2 win over Alaves.
Los Blancos were in the driving seat for most parts, but they ended up conceding two late goals, something Ancelotti would want his team to work on heading into the Madrid derby. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s team will be without the services of Cesar Azpilicueta, Thomas Lemar, and Pablo Barrios. Apart from the trio, the Argentine manager has no fresh injury concerns to worry about.
Julian Alvarez, who scored the winner in their last outing, should return to the mix along with a few other key players. Simeone will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal.
Robin Le Normand, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Reinildo Mandava will form the back three for the home team. They will look for a clean sheet against the star-studded Real Madrid attack and receive some support from Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino, who will feature as the wing-backs.
Rodrigo De Paul will start in the centre of the park alongside Koke and Conor Gallagher, who is all set for his first taste of the Madrid derby. As for the attack, Alvarez will pair up with French superstar Antoine Griezmann.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Le Normand, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe picked up an injury in their last outing and has joined Brahim Diaz, David Alaba, and Dani Ceballos on the sidelines. But, Real Madrid do have a boost as recent reports suggest Eduardo Camavinga has passed a late fitness test and should be a part of the squad for the derby.
Dani Carvajal is expected to return to the starting XI after missing the last fixture because of a knock. With Mbappe out injured, Ancelotti could look to revert to the 4-4-2 diamond formation that did wonders for Los Blancos last season. Thibaut Courtois will continue in goal.
Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will be the full-backs, while Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will feature in the heart of the defence. Aurelien Tchouameni will be the defensive midfielder in front of the backline, while Federico Valverde and Luka Modric will be in his support. Finally, Jude Bellingham should start as the attacking midfielder behind the attacking partnership of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Los Blancos are on a 39-match unbeaten run in La Liga.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team have won each of their last outings across all competitions.
- Both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are unbeaten in the 2024/25 season.
- Diego Simeone’s team have the best defensive record in La Liga having conceded just three goals so far.
- Atletico Madrid were the last team to beat Real Madrid in the league. It happened in the corresponding fixture last season as they won 3-1 back in September 2023.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham is expected to feature in a no. 10 role in this fixture. He will have the added freedom with a three-man midfield protecting him, and the English international could be seen making those late runs into the box. It won’t be a surprise if he ends up being the difference between the two teams given what he did last season. He is yet to score a goal this season, and this might just be the best way to get started.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-3 Real Madrid
Expect it to be a high-scoring thriller with both teams going all out for the three points. While Los Blancos will be without Kylian Mbappe, they still have enough firepower to get the desired result.
Atletico Madrid have the best defensive record in La Liga, but they will be coming up against a team that tends to find a way to score irrespective of the opposition. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for the visitors.
