Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid: Breaking Down a Season-Defining Derby at the Santiago Bernabéu

Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid: Breaking Down a Season-Defining Derby at the Santiago Bernabéu

Saturday’s Derbi Madrileño promises to be one of the games of the season in La Liga, with the top two, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, separated by just a single point in the table.

Ahead of a potentially season-defining clash, we take a look at three pressing questions for each camp and consider what might be about to unfold at the Santiago Bernabéu…

Will Ancelotti Stick by Top-Heavy Starting XI?

“The game was pretty well controlled, but Espanyol played very well in transition and defended well… they caught us with one and scored. It was the game they wanted to play,” said Carlo Ancelotti following his side’s 1-0 defeat at Espanyol last week.

If he hasn’t already, Diego Simeone will no doubt be absorbing that game before the weekend. He’ll have been listening too. The “game [Espanyol] wanted to play”, according to Ancelotti, might well look like the one the Atlético boss wants on Saturday as well.

This will be the 12th time his Atlético side have played at the Bernabéu in La Liga. Across the previous 11, they’ve averaged 36% possession and faced 100 more shots than they’ve had themselves (92 for, 192 against). Despite that disparity, the aggregate scoreline across those games stands at Real Madrid 10-8 Atlético Madrid, with both sides winning as many times as they’ve lost (3).

The visitors know that through what looks like adversity, they can still be competitive when all is said and done. Both coaches will prepare their teams accordingly.

For Ancelotti, the question will be whether to start with Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo – as he did against Espanyol – or whether to sacrifice the latter and opt for an extra midfielder.

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