The efforts, from both sides, to lower the significance will not diminish the importance of a derby that is always key in the fight for the title.
In a new scenario with respect to the recent derbies, with the need to beat Atlético de Madrid to confirm the reaction of the current champion and avoid a blow, who knows if it is definitive, from Real Madrid to LaLiga Santander before Christmas, the great Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the scene one year, ten months and ten days after a duel of eternal rivalry that was dyed white in the last ten league events.
The efforts, from both sides, to lower the significance will not detract from a derby that has always been key in the fight for the title in its recent history. As true as there is a large part of the championship to be disputed, is that the distance that Real Madrid would take in case of extending its streak (it arrives launched with nine consecutive wins), would begin to acquire an insurmountable aspect for the rest of the candidates. Those of Carlo Ancelotti are looking for a rival and feel that Atlético de Madrid is the most capable of fighting until the end for the crown.
It is the great goal of Ancelotti. The only great League that is missing from its showcase full of trophies. Fired at her with a seamless block that has found consistency without rotations, with the option of matching her second best streak on the white bench, ten wins, in duels that she opts from defensive safety. Without conceding goals in his last three commitments against rivals from the entity Real Sociedad, Athletic Club or Inter Milan.
Channels that broadcast live
DirecTV (610) for Ecuador and Movistar + for Spain
Schedules to see live
- 12:00 Tijuana and Los Angeles
- 14:00 Mexico City and Austin (Texas)
- 15:00 Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and New York
- 17:00 Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brasilia (Brazil)
- 20:00 England and Portugal
- 21:00 Spain, Italy and Germany
If the Spanish League became Ancelotti’s desire, his coaching efforts with Diego Simeone became personal challenges in his first stage. The Italian was unable to defeat the Argentine in his four league derbies, settling scores in the ‘Champions’, giving Real Madrid the desired tenth and in a subsequent tie that spice up a great duel, full of respect. No letters to keep for the madridista in the present. Forced to modify his system in the past until he found the formula to defeat Atlético, now he remains faithful to a 4-3-3 that exploits the virtues of his players.
The white goal scorer, Karim Benzema, reestablished from his muscular ailments in the hamstrings, arrives on time for the big event to be a starter. And in the Madrid favor, even Gareth Bale returns to the scene, absent since the end of August, to raise the level in the changes. Because Ancelotti’s eleven is untouchable and the only doubt to clear lies in the continuity of Rodrygo or the start of Marco Asensio after his great goal against Inter.
Everything points to the presence of the Brazilian in the search for speed on the wings, with Vinícius on the left looking to reign for the first time in a derby if he extends his leadership moment. Time advances and seeks new kings. Sergio Ramos left and Benzema will be the one who has played the most derbies, 36 for Koke Resurrección’s 31, with two debutants of weight as starters in his teams: David Alaba at Real Madrid and Rodrigo De Paul at Atlético. The new faces of a duel of greatness.
It is a decisive derby for Atlético de Madrid, which puts its survival in the fight for the title at stake, even though the players project from the inside out that it is not a decisive duel and that they resort to the fact that there will be 24 games left for play. But ten points away at this point is a considerable distance already passed the first third of the championship, without the rojiblanco team finding the version it is still pursuing.
Like last Tuesday in Porto, it is debated between the jump or the fall, this time in LaLiga Santander. His margin of error has been reduced to nothing, pressured this Sunday by circumstances, expectations and, above all, the classification, the best reflection of the size of this derby (either he wins or is out of the league race) and also from this Atlético, which has added only 19 of the last 30 points in dispute in this tournament or that has won only eight of its last 18 matches in all competitions.
There are no middle terms anymore. Less in a derby that has not won since he was proclaimed champion of the European Super Cup on August 15, 2018 in Tallinn. Since then, he has chained seven duels against the eternal rival without a single victory. If he loses this Sunday, he remains thirteen points behind the white leadership; If he wins, he gets to seven, which would be four in the event that the rojiblanco team overcomes its postponement in Granada. A substantial difference, a bet on all or nothing, a challenge that marks the league course for the current champion.
Revitalized in Porto, more for the claim of the scoreboard and the pass to the round of 16 than for the game, more shocking because of the way to recover from the setbacks than for the control of the match, Atlético need much more to compete for everything that intends and in the way you imagine. To Jan Oblak at the level of Do Dragao, a more reliable defense, a faster transition, a more resounding attack, to Griezmann, to Luis Suárez …
The Uruguayan forward is the doubt of the derby. Thursday’s tests ruled out that there is a muscle break in the adductor, he already trained both on Friday and this Saturday with the group and his presence in the call is safe. Its ownership, on the contrary, is unlikely. And, predictably, Cunha will not supply it in the eleven. The variation between the two that he handled on Friday may now lead to neither of them playing the derby at the start. It is a now latent possibility. At the same time, Thomas Lemar and Yannick Carrasco will both start.
In the attack, Antoine Griezmann is sure, who no longer rotates, as indisputable as in the past at Atlético, with intervention in nine goals in the last ten games -all in the starting eleven- and in four in the three official matches more recent, through two goals and two other goals. He will be seconded at the Santiago Bernabéu by Ángel Correa, Rodrigo de Paul, Koke Resurrección and Thomas Lemar, in a probable 5-4-1 or 5-3-2. And Joao Félix? Nor will it have a place in the eleven. It will start on the bench … except surprise.
Behind, predictably, the defense will be five. It is the structure in which, today, your team feels best. Without Stefan Savic or José María Giménez available -they are two of the team’s four casualties for the derby, along with Sime Vrsaljko and Kieran Trippier-, the center of defense will be for Felipe Monteiro, Mario Hermoso and Geoffrey Kondogbia, the solution against the double absence in that demarcation, while the lanes will be covered as in the last duels by Marcos Llorente and Yannick Carrasco.
Possible alignments
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Rodrygo, Vinícius and Benzema.
Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Felipe, Kondogbia, Hermoso, Carrasco; Correa, Koke, De Paul, Lemar; and Griezmann.
Referee: Mateu Lahoz.
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Posts: Real Madrid (1st, 39 points); Athletic (4th, 29 points).
The key: the offensive force that Atlético is capable of showing to challenge Madrid’s defensive security without conceding goals in 258 minutes of the league.
The data: Real Madrid have not lost a league derby since February 2016, a total of ten games of which they won in four and drew six.
The phrases
Ancelotti: “Atlético now has more individual quality and maintains the same defensive and offensive commitment as before, the same mentality.”
Simeone: “The arrival of Ancelotti has given a defensive force that enhances all their offensive weapons”
The environment: the Santiago Bernabéu stadium will present the best entry since its reopening, 55,000 spectators are expected in a meeting that raises great expectations among its fans. There will be a hundred Atletico fans supporting their team. (D)
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
