Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups ahead of the big derby in Madrid.
| Date | Sunday 18th September 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Metropolitano |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Preview
One of the biggest derbies in world football takes place at the Civitas Metropolitano this weekend as Atletico Madrid take on Real Madrid. Atletico will be looking for a result here to boost their players’ confidence after a stop-start beginning to the season whilst Real will be aiming to keep their 100% record intact, something no other club in Europe’s big leagues can boast at the moment.
Atletico’s last domestic outing came in a 4-1 win against Celta Vigo. Despite early pressure from the Galicians, Thomas Lemar was able to switch play from the left hand side of the pitch to the right where Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo De Paul combined to set up Angel Correa who put Atletico in front.
Iago Aspas would hit the post before the break, but the second goal came from a deflected effort from Rodrigo De Paul before Yannick Carrasco scored a stunning solo effort to make it three. Gabri Vega would grab a consolation goal for Celta which the northern side deserved given the scoreline was harsh, but another Atletico counter late on ended with Unai Nuñez tapping the ball past his own goalkeeper as Atleti wrapped up a 4-1 victory.
Diego Simeone’s side have not had an awful start to the season by any means, achieving 10 points from a possible 15 and their only draw and loss came against other top sides in Real Sociedad and Villarreal respectively. However, the form of Real Madrid and Barçelona is convincing many that a high points tally may be needed to pick up the title this season, so Atletico will have to pick up consistency if they want to compete and a win against their biggest rivals and league leaders here could put them back into the mix.
Similarly to Atletico, Real Madrid come into this match after a flattering 4-1 win last weekend against Mallorca. The islanders went in front on the 35th minute after Vedat Muriqi headed home from a set piece, and it can’t be said that it was against the run of play. Carlo Ancelotti’s side failed to break down Mallorca, but on the verge of half time Federico Valverde scored one of the goals of the season, being given the ball deep inside his own half and running past several players to get to the opposition box before smashing the ball into the top corner.
Although improved in the second half, Los Blancos didn’t truly trouble Mallorca until Rodrygo completed an excellent run before gifting the ball to Vinicius to score in his fifth game in a row. Rodrygo would score an excellent goal himself in the 89th minute before Antony Rudiger netted his first goal for the club late on to seal the three points.
Although not always dominating matches, Real Madrid have had an outstanding start to the season, being the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have won every single match in both their domestic league and the Champions League. A win here would allow the capital side to extend this record going into the international break whilst pulling away from Atletico in the league table.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Atletico Madrid
| INJURED | Reguilon, Savic, Lemar, Gimenez |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Oblak – Reinildo, Witsel, Felipe – Saul, De Paul, Kondogbia, Koke, Llorente – Felix, Morata (3-5-2)
Coach: Diego Simeone
Real Madrid
| INJURED | Vazquez, Benzema |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Courtois – Mendy, Alaba, Militao, Carvajal – Kroos, Tchouameni, Modric – Vini, Rodrygo, Valverde (4-3-3)
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Score Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid
In the past decade, many of these derbies have ended up with draws that haven’t been easy on the eye. However, that has changed in recent years as only one of the last five Madrid derbies in LaLiga has ended in a draw, with Atletico taking the last victory and Real Madrid achieving the three prior to that.
For this reason, we expect a more open game here and recent form edges in the favour of Real Madrid. However, it could be difficult for Los Blancos to break down Diego Simeone’s side without Karim Benzema, so this match should be as good to watch for tactical reasons as well as for the football on display.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
