Well, here we are once more.
El Derbi Madrileño. Atlético de Madrid versus Real Madrid. The David versus Goliath battle that pits the plucky working class from the southwest of the city against the elite
riches of the north.
Except, the David has got one over on Goliath quite a few times in recent years, and is now expected to compete with Goliath on a regular basis? Also, David moved house eight years ago and now has his working class roots questioned?
Kickoff Saturday at 16:15 CET will see the 302nd chapter of this book written, 119 years after El Derbi was played for the first time. Los Blancos, from Chamartín, have 154 chapters dedicated to their success in this story, whereas Los Rojiblancos, now of Canillejas, can only count on less than half of that number (75).
This edition’s result appears to be drafted out in favour of the sardine tin occupants already; the two teams starting the season on quite opposite feet. Real have been impeccable (results wise) up until now, and Atleti have been LaLiga’s surprise stutterers off the mark.
Xabi Alonso’s side have won six from six and sit top with a two-point gap over FC Barcelona. In preparation for the derby, they brushed aside Levante to record their biggest win of the campaign to date, Kylian Mbappé grabbing a brace to run out 4-1 winners in midweek.
It’s the Frenchman who is grabbing the headlines with his seven goals, as well as his seemingly-improved performances and attitude from last season. The fact that he registered 31 league goals last season says a lot about the increased current level he’s displaying.
New kid on the block Franco Mastantuono has been a revelation for Los Merengues. The 18-year-old Argentine has shown Endrick that it is possible to hit the ground running from a young age upon arrival in Europe; he is immensely talented and already looks strong enough to compete at this level. As his name suggests, Franco plays out on the right wing and will no doubt give whomever faces him a torrid time down that flank.
Atlético, on the other hand, are scrambling. On the surface, they’ve only lost one match more than Madrid, but scratch away at that top layer and you’ll find issues more complex.
Of course, the explanations — or excuses — are clear: injuries, a new squad, a short preseason. Nevertheless, whatever Diego Simeone is cooking, he has it on a gentle simmer. Right now the results aren’t visible, but certain aromas give reason to be excited, and he hasn’t yet added the five tablespoons of Álex Baena that his recipe requires.
One element that will definitely need to improve this weekend is Atleti’s efficiency in front of goal. El Cholo uses the Spanish phrase contundente to describe how he wants his players to be in the opposition box. “Decisive” is probably the best translation.
Colchonero number-crunchers Atlético Stats have highlighted this issue and have picked out that only RC Lens of Ligue 1 (16) have missed more “big chances” than Atleti (15) so far this season across Europe’s top five leagues.
The blame is spread across the whole of the team, with players such as Nico González, Giuliano Simeone, Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth all missing big opportunities to kill off matches after taking a 1-0 lead. All of Atleti’s points dropped have come from winning positions, so the hosts will want to ensure there are no leaks should they go a goal up on Saturday.
Team news
Unfortunately, United States international Johnny Cardoso will be unavailable yet again meaning he won’t be able to make history as the first American to play in the Madrid derby. Alongside him, Thaigo Almada and José María Giménez are also sidelined with their respective injuries.
Against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night we (finally) saw Marcos Llorente being used in a more-advanced position, with Nahuel Molina coming in at right-back. Simeone’s decision was immediately vindicated, with Llorente assisting Alvarez with a sublime cross early on.
Marc Pubill came on in that position towards the end of the match and looked a solid option, but will El Cholo be brave enough to go against his trusted Llorente-Giuliano right side combination in such a big match? It all depends on who he believes is best suited to go up against Vinícius Júnior.
Elsewhere, Sørloth will return from suspension and could slot straight into the front line with Alvarez due to Antoine Griezmann’s placid performances.
La Araña had a great debut season when it came to facing Real Madrid, scoring a panenka penalty in the league and a jaw-dropping curling effort from outside of the box in the Champions League (both at the Bernabéu). His hat-trick in midweek has given him a taste for goal this campaign, and he will be hungry to add more to his tally on the biggest stage.
As mentioned, whoever is selected at left-back will be tasked with keeping Mastantuono quiet, which could indicate David Hancko slotting into that position. Clément Lenglet will no doubt appear at center-back should that be the case.
Predicted lineup
Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Hancko; Llorente, Barrios, Koke, Nico; Alvarez, Sørloth.
