For one, it will be the opportunity to take revenge against the only opponent who defeated him this season.
For the other, it will be the last chance to rejoin the fight for the Spanish League title.
The leader
Real Madrid will receive Diego Simeone's
Atlético de
Madrid
this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Santiago Bernabéu
in a duel corresponding to the 23rd date of a competition that is approaching its decisive segment.
Both come to this derby
with positive streaks
to back them up.
Merengue
, who beat Getafe 2-0 on Thursday in a match pending matchday 20, have accumulated six consecutive victories in the League that allowed them to jump to the top, two points ahead of the surprising Girona
.
El
Colchonero
, who beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 on Wednesday with a goal from Memphis Depay in the last minute, has five wins in a row in all competitions, but in the League they are still far away: they are third, 10 points behind their next rival.
This disadvantage places the red and white team with
the obligation to win
if they intend to maintain their aspirations of obtaining the title.
It will not be an easy task, since they will have to look for that victory in a fiefdom where they have not won
for almost eight years
.
His last victory at the Santiago Bernabéu was on February 27, 2016, when he won 1-0 with a goal from Frenchman Antoine Griezmann.
After that, they went through nine appearances without being able to beat their neighbor as a visitor (eight at the Bernabéu and one at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium): they tied four times and lost five.
“We have to play a game like the one we have always played against Madrid.
"He is a rival of the best, he never loses or loses very little, he has very good locker room management with his coach, he has enormous football quality," Simeone analyzed on Saturday at the press conference prior to the duel he gave in the City. Majadahonda Sports.
“The team is responding very well in these last games and we hope to continue in the same line,” said the Argentine coach, who on Sunday will not be able to count on César Azpilicueta, the Uruguayan José María Giménez and the Frenchman Thomas Lemar, who are injured.
Diego Simeone observes the movements of his players during Atlético de Madrid's training session on Saturday.
Photo: Mariscal / EFE.
On the other hand, Italian
Carlo Ancelotti
assessed that Sunday's match "will not be decisive, but it will be important."
“If we win the next two games (against Atlético and Girona) we will have six more points and it will be very good news, but nothing more.
Because there is a lot of championship ahead.
The important thing is that the team is plugged in and doing things well,” considered the coach, who will not be able to use the Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni (suspended) and will wait until the last minute for the recovery of the German Antonio Rüdiger, affected by a discomfort in his left thigh. .
This will be the fourth meeting between these two opponents this season.
The previous three were intense, full of goals and short circuits, and with the Brazilian Vinícius Júnior at the center of most of the discussions, including a rather racy one with Simeone in the last game.
Of these three games, Atlético emerged victorious in two.
It is not a minor fact, since those were the only two defeats for Real Madrid this season, in which they also recorded 27 wins and three draws.
Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid will seek its seventh consecutive victory in the Spanish League on Sunday.
Photo: Rodrigo Jiménez / EFE.
The first duel between these two teams in this campaign was on September 24, 2023, when
Colchonero
won 3 to 1 at the Metropolitano for the sixth round of the League.
Two goals from Álvaro Morata and one from Griezmann, all headed, gave the home team the victory (German Toni Kroos scored).
That day, the visitors complained bitterly about alleged errors by referee Javier Alberola Rojas, but no decision by the judge could hide the very poor performance of Ancelotti's men.
Merengue
only had to wait three and a half months
to avenge that setback: on January 10, 2024, at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, they won 5-3 in overtime in one of the semifinals of the Super Cup from Spain.
In the first 90 minutes, Rüdiger, the Frenchman Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal scored for Ancelotti's team, and Mario Hermoso, Griezmann and Rüdiger (against) did so for Simeone's team.
In extra time, Joselu and Brahim Díaz gave Madrid the victory, which then beat Barcelona in the final.
Diego Simeone and Vinícius Júnior, face to face during the last match between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid.
Photo: Susana Vera / EFE.
Just eight days later they met again, this time at the Metropolitano and in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, and the victory was in the hands of Atlético, who won 4 to 2 in a duel that was also resolved in extra time.
The Brazilian Samuel Lino and Morata put the hosts ahead twice in the 90 minutes, but the Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak (against) and Joselu tied successively for the visit.
In extra time, Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme definitively unbalanced the score.
Then Atlético beat Sevilla in the quarterfinals and now must face Athletic Club de Bilbao in one of the semifinals (the first leg will be on Wednesday in Madrid).
In principle, this Sunday will be the last clash between the two Madrid giants of the season, although there is still the possibility that they will meet in the Champions League.
Both are waiting for their matches in the round of 16: Real will face Leipzig (the first leg will be on February 13 in Germany) and Atlético will face Inter (the first duel will be on February 20 at the Metropolitano).