Overview
Atletico Madrid just had a dramatic match with Rayo Vallecano. After falling 1-2 at the end of the second half, Diego Simeone's team made a spectacular comeback thanks to Julian Alvarez's double in the final minutes, thereby winning 3 valuable points.
After 6 rounds of La Liga, Atletico have 2 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, earning 9 points and temporarily ranked 8th, 9 points behind leaders Real Madrid. In the Champions League, they also had an unfavorable start when they lost to Liverpool in the opening match. Therefore, the upcoming Madrid derby is considered an opportunity for Simeone and his team to regain their popularity.
Although famous for their solid defense, Atletico has left many gaps this season when they conceded 7 goals in 6 matches in La Liga, along with 3 goals conceded against Liverpool. This is clearly a big concern when they have to face attacking stars like Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior.
A notable statistic as the last 3 Madrid derbies in La Liga have all ended with a score of 1-1. In particular, Atletico are unbeaten in 5 matches against Real Madrid in La Liga since September 2022.
Real Madrid are in perfect form with 7 consecutive wins in all competitions, including 6 wins in La Liga and the opening match in the Champions League against Marseille.
Xabi Alonso's team took turns over Osasuna, Real Oviedo, Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Espanyol and Levante to win all 18 points, thereby taking the top spot, creating a 5-point gap with Barcelona. In the most recent round, Los Blancos defeated Levante 4-1. Kylian Mbappe continues to explode, scoring 9 goals in 7 appearances since the beginning of the season.
However, Real Madrid have not had good results in recent derbies. They have not won against Atletico in La Liga since September 2022, and have only had 2 away victories against the same city since November 2016.
Before the October international break, Real Madrid have 3 important matches: two confrontations with Atletico and Villarreal in La Liga, between which are the away trip to Kairat Stadium in the Champions League group stage.
Personnel situation
Atletico welcomed Alex Baena back to the bench in the match against Rayo Vallecano. The Spaniard has recovered from a muscle injury and operated on an excess intestine, but it is too early for him to start.
Jose Gimenez, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada are still under injury treatment, while Alexander Sorloth is out of suspension and ready to return. Diego Simeone could prioritize using Conor Gallagher on the wing, while Julian Alvarez is almost certain to be in the starting lineup.
On Real Madrid's side, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger continue to be absent due to injury.
However, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are likely to return to defence, while Aurelien Tchouameni is also ready to return in midfield. Jude Bellingham, who has just undergone shoulder surgery, may only come off the bench and make way for Arda Guler in the 10th position.
Up front, Mbappe is sure to start in the center, supported by Vinicius Junior and young talent Franco Mastantuono. That means Rodrygo will have to give up his position and sit on the bench with Bellingham and Camavinga.
Expected lineup:
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Hancko, Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Gallagher, Alvarez, Sorloth.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras, Valverde, Tchouameni, Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe.
The match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid takes place at 9:15 p.m. on September 27 (Vietnam time).
