Much of the eyes of the derby will focus on the figures João Félix (21 years) and Vinicius (20). Young, talented, scorers (both scored so many saviors for their teams on the last day of the League) … they are called to lead their respective teams in the future. The faces were already seen in the derby of the first round. And today they will be offensive tricks for their technicians, although it is not known if they will start as starters or will do so when the match has become complicated for the interests of their respective matches.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of March 6, 2021
João Félix, chosen one Golden boy in 2019, He came out at halftime and was seen to be eager, very active and participatory. He scored 0-2 and scored again after a month without doing so (his last goal had been on January 24 against Valencia). Beyond the message he launched after scoring and who it was aimed at, Simeone needs the best version of João Félix on this decisive stretch of the season. He is not just another player and in the Atlético dressing room they know it.
The Portuguese started his second season in the rojiblanco team at a very good level. And his team benefited. But then he got stuck and now he wants to stick his head out again. It is true that he has not shone, but he has already ten goals (seven in LaLiga and three in the Champions League). And he has given five assists, all in the championship. He has already exceeded the records of his first exercise: nine goals and three assists. It is not known if he will form in the starting eleven against Real Madrid. This week, Simeone has trained an eleven without the Portuguese and the next day he will align a different eleven by including him. Thus, he could play from the beginning as an attacking partner of Luis Suárez or enter with the match started and give the rojiblanco attack one more march, as happened against Villarreal. One way or another it has to be important in the derby. It is what should be asked of a player whose market value according to Transfermartk is 100 million.
For its part, Vinicius has been an important part in two of Madrid's last three in the Madrid derby. In 2019 he forced a penalty to overtake Madrid on the scoreboard. He also managed to unhinge Arias and Godín, more veteran and hardened. Even the white players protested the concession of the rojiblanco goal, the work of Griezmann, after a hard tackle by Correa on the Brazilian himself. In the last clash between madridistas and rojiblancos played at the Bernabéu (on February 1, 2020), the play that Benzema culminated after a measured cross by Mendy began: he put a ball between a tangle of legs so that it ended up at the side's feet. French. If we go further back, we must remember the aggression he suffered in the subsidiary derby: they wanted to bite him on the head at Cerro del Espino after scoring two goals.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of March 6, 2021
This league campaign adds five goals and three assists (four in the League and one in the Champions League). The goals have served Madrid to win two games (Valladolid and Sevilla), another to tie at the last moment (Real Sociedad, and which allowed the whites to equalize at the last moment), and the remaining to open the scoring against the Raise in a meeting that was complicated for the madridistas. Those so many have served him to surpass the records of the past two seasons. But it must improve. It has time and capacity for improvement. Of course, he learns quickly and is increasing benefits in his latest interventions. He does not give up. He wants to hit the derby table again. For now it is a game that is not bad. And he wants to continue like this …