Last year, Atletico Madrid made it very hard for Los Blancos in all competitions, winning four games out of eight. This year, coach Raf a Benitez will try to change that, as Real Madrid gets ready to face their first derby of the year against Simeone's side.
Real Madrid is just two points ahead of Atletico in the current season, making the most out of their defensive capabilities despite a number of injuries. Simeone's side has not been as scintillating as they were during the past two seasons, but they surely possess the needed flare to shock their visitors this Sunday.
Atletico Madrid
Los Colchoneros have not played their best football this season, despite new additions such as Jackson Martinez and Luciano Vietto up front. While Diego Simeone wants his side to perform even better, the former Atletico midfielder has shown his side will not change that much from what they've offered so far this year, trying to give his players a confidence boost. Their only absence will be midfielder Koke, despite showing recovery from an injury.
Perhaps the biggest threat for Real Madrid will be striker Fernando Torres. El Niño returned to his boyhood club back in January, and he managed to hurt Los Blancos every time both sides met, whether it was with a goal he scored, or with an assist. Helping Torres will be Atletico's current fan-favorite Antoine Griezmann, the club's scoring leader and an all-around threat for opposing defenses.
¡Ya tenemos once titular! Estos son nuestros elegidos para el derbi. ¡Vamos, equipo! #AúpaAtleti #AtletiRealMadrid https://t.co/9xKCltmUR7
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) October 4, 2015
Real Madrid
Los Blancos will try to regain the top of the table this Sunday, after relinquishing the pole position last week against Málaga. While Benitez's side has defended superbly in all competitions, their form up front has left some doubts, even with Cristiano Ronaldo's performance. For this game, Real Madrid will have Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale back, while James Rodriguez will still have to spend some more time away from the pitch due to a muscular injury.
Benitez's crew seems to be more comfortable playing away games, since they have only dropped two points when they go on the road. Real Madrid won its two most recent matches away from home, destroying Espanyol with a five-goal display by Cristiano Ronaldo, and adding another 2-1 victory over Athletic. The team's hopes of success will depend mostly on what the Portuguese ace can do, and if he scores, he will become the all-time goal scoring leader for Los Blancos. In fact, a brace by Ronaldo would make him the most prolific scorer in Madrid derby's history.
Este es nuestro once inicial ante el Atlético. ;#RMLiga #RMDerbi #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/D6UKupguvc
— Real Madrid C. F. (@realmadrid) October 4, 2015
Head to head
After a 14-year period in which Los Colchoneros were not able to win a single match facing Los Blancos, Diego Simeone's arrival changed that for the Manzanares-based club. Since "El Cholo" took over, Atletico has won six games, drawn four and lost seven, including two Champions League battles that saw Real Madrid emerge victorious. Their most recent game in all competitions had Real Madrid on top, with Mexican striker Javier Hernández scoring the only goal of their Champions League Quarter-final matchup. Nevertheless, the last time Los Merengues visited Vicente Calderon Stadium was a complete blowout, as Simeone's men destroyed Carlo Ancelotti's team 4-0.
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