Madrid Derby: Real, Atletico Go for Broke at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid will be looking to move six points clear at the top of La Liga when they welcome Atletico Madrid to the Bernabeu this afternoon.

Los Blancos are currently three points ahead of second-placed Barcelona at the top of the table, while Atletico occupy fifth with 36 points to show from their 21 matches during the 2019-20 campaign.

Real Madrid have not been without their problems this season, but Zidane’s side will enter this match off the back of seven straight wins in all competitions. They beat Atletico on penalties in the final of the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month and have since posted four victories in two separate competitions.

Indeed, in addition to overcoming Sevilla and Real Valladolid in the league, Los Blancos have progressed in the Copa del Rey with wins over Unionistas and Real Zaragoza, beating the latter 4-0 on Wednesday night.

Zidane shuffled his pack for the Copa del Rey tie, but the capital giants were still far too strong for their opponents, with Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior among the goals at the Estadio de la Romareda.

Barca’s 2-0 loss at Valencia last weekend opened the door for Real Madrid to move to the top of the table, and they recorded a 1-0 win over Valladolid courtesy of a late goal from Nacho. As a result, there is three points between first and second, but Zidane’s side will have the chance to move six points clear on Saturday afternoon as the reigning Spanish champions are not in action until Sunday night against Levante.

The fact that Real Madrid have lost just once in 21 league matches this season is very impressive, with that defeat coming away to Mallorca on October 19. They have actually not lost in any competition since then, progressing to the last-16 stage of the Champions League as well as impressing domestically.

European football will resume next month, and Los Blancos have the small matter of a clash with Manchester City at the Bernabeu. The reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium will then take place on March 17, and it would be fair to say that Pep Guardiola’s side have not been at their best this season.

Incredibly, five of the last six league meetings between these two teams have finished level, including a goalless drawwhen they last locked horns at the Bernabeu in September 2018.

Even more surprisingly, Real Madrid have not actually beaten Atletico on home soil in the league since December 2012. There is no question that Zidane’s team will enter Saturday’s clash as the favourites, but Diego Simeone has shown on numerous occasions that he is capable of frustrating in-form sides.

Atletico will enter this weekend’s match off the back of a four-game winless run in all competitions. Indeed, they have not picked up a victory since beating Barca 3-2 in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.

Since then, Simeone’s side have lost to Real Madrid in the final, in addition to suffering defeats away to Eibar in the league on January 18 and against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey on January 23.

Atletico would have been looking to return to winning ways against Leganes last weekend, but the points were shared in a goalless draw at the Wanda Metropolitano. The result left the capital side down in fifth position in the table with a record of nine wins, nine draws and three defeats from 21 matches.

The Red and Whites are only two points off third-placed Sevilla on the same number of matches but sit 10 points behind Real Madrid heading into the Madrid derby. In all honesty, it is difficult to imagine Atletico making a play for the title in the remaining months of the campaign.

In recent years, Atletico have almost always boasted the best defensive record throughout the season but that is not the case this term. Indeed, Real Madrid have only conceded 13 goals in their 21 matches, while Atletico have shipped 14.

Down the other end, Real Madrid are the second-leading scorers in the division with 39 goals, but Atletico have managed just 22. Only Leganes, Valladolid, Celta Vigo, Espanyol and Eibar have scored fewer La Liga goals than Simeone’s side this season, which is an indiction of their issues.

Alvaro Morata has seven league strikes to his name during the 2019-20 campaign, but Joao Felix and Angel Correahave just five between them. Diego Costa’s injury blow has certainly harmed the team, but there has not been enough happening in the final third of the field this term.

Atletico’s recent record at the Bernabeu is strong, though, picking up three wins and three draws from their last six league visits, with Real Madrid’s last victory in this particular fixture coming back in December 2012.