Estadio Santiago Bernabeu plays host to the 232nd competitive edition of El Derbi Madrileno between eternal rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on Saturday evening.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men come into proceedings in high spirits after turning an early 2-0 deficit into an overwhelming 5-2 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Vinicius Junior scored a first-half brace to draw Madrid back on level terms before Eder Militao turned the game on its, with Karim Benzema putting the icing on the cake with a quick-fire double.
But Los Merengues cannot rest on their laurels if they’re to defend the La Liga title for the first time since 2008, as they start this round eight points below leaders Barcelona.
Unlike their hosts, without the distraction of European football or other domestic cup competitions for the remainder of the season, Atletico can channel their energy to securing an 11th straight top-four finish.
After finishing bottom of their Champions League group, Diego Simeone’s side bowed out of Copa del Rey to non-other than Los Blancos in January, which has proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Los Rojiblancos has since won three of their four league matches (D1), including a 1-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao last weekend, to move four points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis.
Match Preview
Real Madrid
El Derbi Madrileno has recently been a one-sided affair, with Los Merengues losing just one of their last 14 league encounters against Atletico (W6, D6).
Ancelotti’s men have defeated their cross-town rivals in their last three La Liga meetings at the Bernabeu without conceding a goal after dropping points in six previous contests (D3, L3).
Back-to-back multi-goal margin wins ‘to nil’ over Osasuna and Elche in the lead-up to this clash mean Madrid could register three league triumphs on the spin for the first time since winning four consecutive times in October.
Atletico Madrid
Simeone has re-adopted the winning strategy after exiting other competitions, with Atletico’s last three league wins coming by an identical 1-0 scoreline.
They have toppled Celta Vigo and Osasuna by that scoreline in their last two La Liga away games after going winless on three previous league travels (D1, L2).
Los Colchoneros are unbeaten in their last season matches in La Liga (W4, D2), accounting for their longest unbeaten run in the top-flight this season.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Potential Line-ups
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Nacho; Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos; Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso, Reinildo Mandava; Marcos Llorente, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Yannick Carrasco; Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata.
How to Watch?
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid, alongside all other Los Blancos’ fixtures, is available to watch online via live Real Madrid streaming.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Prediction
Despite Atletico’s mini-revival in 2023 and Madrid’s European duties in midweek, we expect Los Blancos to pick up an all-important three points on Saturday.
Real Madrid 1-0 Atletico Madrid
