Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid Aiming to End Real’s Unbeaten Start to the Season in Madrid Derby

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid Aiming to End Real’s Unbeaten Start to the Season in Madrid Derby

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:12 PM
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  • Real Madrid have played eight games this season in all competitions and have won every single one of them
  • Atletico Madrid finds themselves in seventh spot on the La Liga table and trail Real by five points
  • Karim Benzema will be unavailable for the Madrid Derby as he continues to battle an injury picked up in the Champions League

It’s all about bragging rights and bagging the three points when the Madrid Derby takes centre stage tonight.

Atletico will host their city rivals Real in La Liga, hoping to end the visitor's unbeaten start to the season. Real, on the other hand, are looking to return to the top of the table.

Barcelona currently occupies the first spot by one point but have played a game more than their rivals.

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid, Aiming, End, Real, Unbeaten Start, La Liga, Season, Madrid Derby, Sport, World, Soccer, Carlo Ancelotti
Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid host rivals Real in the Madrid Derby at the Civitas Metropolitano. Image: Aitor Alcalde/ Lluis Gene
Source: Getty Images

What did the coaches say?

Carlo Ancelotti:

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The Real Madrid boss said that he was expecting a competitive match but that they were on a good run of form. He also downplayed the atmosphere at the Civitas Metropolitano, saying that it was customary to expect it in a rivalry, Madrid Universal reported.

“I’m not worried. We are going to play a football match at the rival’s stadium and the pressure from the stands supporting their team is normal,” he said.

Diego Simeone:

Atletico’s boss downplayed the contrast in form between the two sides, describing the game as “a new movie.” Atletico are currently in seventh place, five points behind their bitter rivals, SportsMax noted.

"The moment the game starts, it's a new story. Everything is very good until the referee blows the whistle and then it's a new movie that we don't know the end of. That's why this game is so fun," he added.

Team News

Probable Team Lineups:

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid, Aiming, End, Real, Unbeaten Start, La Liga, Season, Madrid Derby, Sport, World, Soccer, Carlo Ancelotti

Source: UGC

Injury Concerns:

Atletico Madrid:

Los Rojiblancos are expected to be with four players. Stefan Savic, Jose Gimenez, Thomas Lemar and Sergio Reguilon are unlikely to feature during the game through injury.

Keeper Jan Oblak recently picked up a knock but has been declared fit to play.

Real Madrid:

Madrid’s star striker Karim Benzema is still nursing an injury and won’t be available for the derby. Lucas Vazquez is also unavailable for the game due to a thigh injury.

Eder Militao, who missed the last two games through injury, has returned to training and could get a start against Atletico.

Who has won the Madrid derby more?

The two sides have squared off 210 times in all competitions, with Real claiming bragging rights on more occasions.

Los Blancos have won 108 games while Atleti have only won 54. There have also been 48 draws between the two sides.

Authors
Byron Pillay photo
Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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