Koke, the derby classic

Koke has a goal in the derby. The Vallecano is looking for his first victory against Real Madrid as the first captain of Atlético, a bracelet that wears since Godín left the club in the summer of 2019, and he is chasing a win that could also bring him closer to his first title with maximum responsibility in the dressing room. And is that the mattress midfielder is a veteran in this type of maximum intensity matches.

Total, Koke has played 30 derbies with his Atlético against the maximum rival. With his presence in the eleven assured in the Metropolitan Wanda except last minute mishap, the '6' will once again be the rojiblanco engine and the one in charge of throwing the pressure and providing play between the lines to Simeone's team. It will be his 31st match against Real Madrid, with what will become the Atlético player who has most faced his eternal rival in the 21st century. In Valdebebas He already equaled Gabi and Godín, his two mentors in the locker room, and now he will rank as the club's fourth footballer to have seen the most derbies. Of course, Gabi played seven games against the whites between Getafe (two) and Zaragoza (five) and Godín did it four times when he was a Villarreal player.

But everything multiplies when you play with the red and white shirt. Only three historical ones, Adelardo (35), Collar (34) and Tomás Reñones (33) have played more derbies than Koke. And at the same time that the youth squad has grown, Atlético has matched forces with the whites. Koke was Miranda's assistant in that Copa del Rey final in 2013 that ended with more than 13 years without victory in the derbies. And in total, the balance of the mattress captain is nine victories, ten draws and eleven defeats, with two goals and seven assists. Since his derby debut on March 19, 2011, Goal pass to Agüero included, Koke has only missed seven matches against Madrid due to injury or technical decision and the balance has been Pyrrhic, five losses and two draws, one of them leading to defeat in the penalty shoot-out in the Spanish Super Cup.

Koke is already the second most capped player in club history and he is also close to being the one with the most derbies on his legs. A captain who will be fundamental against Real Madrid, which is a key piece in Atlético's midfield and that, without the fans in the stands, he will be in charge of make his teammates aware of the importance of any derby against Real Madrid for the rojiblancos, even more so with LaLiga at stake.