Best Odds: 8/13
Bookmaker:
In what is a heavyweight derby showdown this weekend, Atletico Madrid will welcome bitter rivals Los Blancos to the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday afternoon.
Atletico Madrid
Starting with the hosts, after making a much-welcomed return to winning ways last time out, there is no doubt that Atletico Madrid will be desperate to build off of that result. After suffering what was a shock 1-0 loss at home against Chelsea when making a return to Champions League duties on February 23rd, Diego Simeone s side brought an end to their three-match winless run last weekend. Managing to eventually pick up a 2-0 victory against a Villarreal side in the midst of a domestic sluggish patch, Atletico still find themselves sat in pole position to lift their first La Liga title since 2014. Opening up this weekend s fixtures holding a five-point buffer over Los Blancos, Simeone s side simply have their sights set on extending that buffer on Sunday afternoon. Hoping that their shock 2-0 defeat against Levante a fortnight ago was just a minor blip, it should be noted that Simeone s men have failed to win back-to-back La Liga matchups on home soil for the first time since September 2019.
Team News
Defender Jose Gimenez will once again miss out on Sunday due to an adductor injury.
However, Atletico Madrid will be boosted by the returns of Yannick Carrasco and Kieran Trippier this weekend.
Real Madrid
As for the visitors, while Real Madrid might have not been at their best on Monday night, Los Blancos did manage to snatch a last-gasp point at home against Real Sociedad. With Vinícius Júnior bagging them an 89th-minute equalizer at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, the Whites managed to extend their unbeaten run to six matchups on the bounce. Managing to pick themselves up a Champions League advantage thanks to a 1-0 win away at Italian outfit Atalanta on February 24th, Zinedine Zidane s side appears to have put their worrying return from the festive break behind them. Despite dealing with a string of injury issues so far this year, Madrid have collected 13 points from their last five La Liga contests and their French icon has been boosted by his side s recent displays at the back. While Los Blancos might have seen Sociedad finally breach their defence last time out, that was the first goal that Zidane s side have conceded in over 500 minutes of action.
Team News
Real Madrid will be without the likes of Eden Hazard, Mariano Diaz, Dani Carvajal and Sergio Ramos across the capital this weekend.
However, the trio of Federico Valverde, Marcelo and Rodrygo Goes have been given the green light.
Key Factors to Consider
When the two sides faced off in the reverse fixture back in December, Real Madrid picked up a 2-0 win on home soil.
Atletico Madrid s 2-0 win against Villarreal brought an end to their three-match winless run across all formats.
Each of the last four meetings between Atletico and Real have finished with under 2.5 goals by the final whistle.
Real Madrid have collected 13 points from their last five La Liga matchups.
Los Blancos have also conceded just a single goal in over 500 minutes of action.
Conclusion
While we might have a heavyweight showdown on our hands this weekend, Sunday s meeting in the capital could prove to be another low-scoring affair. With Atletico managing to make a much-needed return to winning ways thanks to a 2-0 victory against Villarreal last week, Diego Simeone s side know that they must kick on from that result if they re to lift their first La Liga title since 2014. On the flip side, while Real Madrid might have only just about managed to grab a last-gasp point against Real Sociedad last time out, Zinedine Zidane has been quick to praise his side s recent displays at the back. Along with conceding just a single strike in over 500 minutes of action, it should also be noted that the Spanish rivals have a habit of producing low-scoring outcomes. With each of the last four straight meetings between Atletico and Real seeing under 2.5 goals by the final whistle, we re backing a similar outcome.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds: 8/13
Bookmaker:
