The third derby is worth gold in the League
Real Madrid and Atlético meet for the third time in less than a month with the Madridistas looking to put an end to the mattress league options
MADRID, 3 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid will experience their third derby in less than a month this Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (9:00 p.m.), this time with the importance of both for their respective options in LaLiga EA Sports 2023-2024 and with the Madrid team seeking to definitively take down the colchonero, encouraged by being the only one who has been able to stop him.
The carousel of meetings between the two staunch rivals of the capital reaches its apparent end this Sunday, waiting for their journey in the Champions League to still reserve a 'last dance' for them. The previous two smiled in equal parts, with Carlo Ancelotti's team taking the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup (5-3) and Diego Pablo Simeone's team winning the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey (4-2), duels with the uniqueness of being a single party.
The main 'new' will be that this will be the first of the season to be played in the Merengue fiefdom, the place where the 14-time European champion wants to add three vital points in his race to win the league title which, after his victory in Getafe leads with two points ahead of Girona, whom they will host next week.
This increases the importance of this duel for Ancelotti's men, who are also on the verge of returning to action in the Champions League in two weeks. Before, Atlético will have another important event such as the first chapter of their cup semi-final against Athletic Club at the Cívitas Metropolitano, although this does not seem to cause reservations on the part of Simeone, who already rotated last Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano.
The hard-fought victory against the franjirrojo team placed the red and whites among the top four, but still ten points behind Real Madrid, so if they want to still put up a 'battle' in the League, they must win at the Bernabéu, something they have not done since September 2016 when they won 0-1 (Griezmann), precisely with Ancelotti, who is struggling with 'Cholo', on the bench.
However, they arrive at this visit encouraged by being able to boast of being the only team that has beaten the Madrid team so far in the season, also twice, since the cup elimination is combined with the authoritative victory in the first round of the domestic championship by a clear 3-1.
Now, the script is different because it is not a eliminatory and that could also favor Atlético, who can play a match that they like the most and knowing that it usually causes a lot of discomfort in their rival, motivated by this, for their part, not stumble upon the same obstacle again and cause the actual list of candidates for the title to increase, a condition that is now maintained only with Girona.
ANCELOTTI, PENDING RÜDIGER, SIMEONE, BETWEEN MORATA AND MEMPHIS
What seems clear is that the duel will once again be of maximum intensity on the part of both teams, with an Atlético that has managed to find a midfield with which it can do much more damage at the level of possession to the leader who, barring surprise, He will be the one who takes the initiative and who has to be patient against the defense of three Colchonera centre-backs.
Ancelotti, apart from the everlasting debate about the goal, with Lunin in theoretical advantage, must solve the possible problem that he may have in the center of defense due to the blow suffered by Rüdiger against Getafe and which makes him a doubt. The German entered the squad, but if he cannot play, the Italian coach only has one 'pure' central defender, Nacho, and does not have the emergency solution, Tchouameni, suspended, so he would have to decide between Carvajal, Mendy or Camavinga .
The three would surely be starters if Rüdiger is part of an eleven where Kroos would return to a midfield that would be completed by Valverde and a Bellingham that will have its personal duel with Griezmann for that symbolic throne of the best player in Europe today. Above, Vinícius, in another test to control his emotions in the derbies, appears to be fixed and Joselu could be the surprise after his great game and double against Getafe and leave Rodrygo, in another scoring drought, on the bench.
For his part, Simeone also has some doubts in defense, where he cannot count on Giménez due to injury, whose position would be for Savic, while Hermoso, with more pace, would be the choice ahead of Reinildo, who started against Rayo and who He did not train with the group. Molina and Llorente fight for the right lane
Last Wednesday, 'Cholo' gave a rest to captain Koke, again at a high level, to De Paul, who will return to the midfield with Barrios as the best option due to the performance he has given in the area since his return and for the play of the team when this trio has played. Griezmann is a permanent fixture up front and the Argentine must decide if he puts Morata, absent due to injury in the last two games, or Memphis, who has three goals in the last three games.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham; Vinícius y Joselu.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Savic, Witsel, Hermoso; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Lino; Griezmann and Morata.
–REFEREE: Sánchez Martínez (C.Murciano).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
–TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.