Atletico vs Real Madrid – News and Probable Lineups

The Metropolitano Stadium will host the latest chapter of the Madrid derby on Sunday afternoon, as Atletico Madrid faces off against Real Madrid in Spain’s premier league.

Currently, Real Madrid sits in second place in the La Liga standings with 15 points, trailing the defending champions Barcelona by three points, while Atletico ranks fourth in the table with 13 points.

Match overview

Atletico has recorded four victories, one draw, and one loss from their six league fixtures this season, accumulating 13 points which puts them in fourth place on the table.

Diego Simeone’s team had a shaky start to September, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, followed by a 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League.

However, the response from the team has been commendable, achieving a strong 3-0 win over Real Sociedad before prevailing 4-0 against Osasuna in their most recent match.

In their last encounter with Real Madrid in March, Atletico fell to a 3-2 defeat, but last season they enjoyed a hefty 5-2 win on home ground.

Simeone’s side could not mount a title challenge last season, finishing fourth with a gap of 25 points behind champions Barcelona, who appear to be even more formidable this season.

On the other hand, Real Madrid will come into this fixture after a thrilling 3-2 win against Elche; José Mourinho’s team was at risk of being held to a 2-2 draw before Carlos Espi netted a stoppage-time winner for the Madrid giants.

Los Blancos have experienced a loss this season as well, falling 1-0 to Real Betis earlier in September, but they have bounced back impressively, defeating Inter de Milão in the Champions League and achieving consecutive wins against Rayo Vallecano and Elche in the league.

Proudly sitting second in the La Liga standings, Real Madrid holds 15 points, just three points behind leaders Barcelona, which underscores the significance of this clash.

Mourinho’s side will encounter Atletico and Villarreal surrounding the international break before resuming their Champions League journey on October 14 against Roma.

While Real Madrid isn’t firing on all cylinders this season, they are still close to Barcelona in the table, and they will be looking to secure their 126th victory against Atletico this weekend.

Team News

Atletico will need to assess the fitness of Julian Alvarez (muscle), Pablo Barrios (muscle), and Alexander Sorloth (muscle) prior to Sunday’s Madrid derby.

Alvarez has been sidelined for Atletico’s last two outings due to his muscular complaint, and while he could make the bench, it is improbable he will start.

Jonathan David was among the scorers against Osasuna last time and is likely to retain his spot in the starting lineup, while Lee Kang-in and Alex Baena are also expected to be included from the off.

As for Real Madrid, Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), and Ferland Mendy (hip) will again be unavailable, but the rest of the squad is in good condition.

Denzel Dumfries is anticipated to reclaim his position at right-back in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Jude Bellingham is also expected to return for this match.

Bernardo Silva is vying for inclusion, but it seems likely that Mourinho will opt for Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde in the heart of midfield.

Vinicius Junior has found the net only once for Real Madrid so far this season, yet the Brazil international will again be part of the starting lineup.

Atletico Madrid probable starting XI:

Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Le Normand, Grimaldo; Lee, Koke, Cardoso, Baena; David, Lookman

Real Madrid probable starting XI:

Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe

In summary, predicting the outcome of this match is challenging, and a draw would not be surprising. Nevertheless, there’s a sense that Real Madrid may edge a closely fought battle this weekend.