The first Madrid derby of the season will take place this weekend when Atletico Madrid welcome Real Madrid to the Civitas Metropolitano.
The two clubs are currently separated by just two points in the La Liga table but with Barcelona on maximum points, neither of them can afford to lose this one which adds extra significance to the fixture.
Another interesting subplot is the fact that both teams are currently unbeaten in La Liga this season. Will that change on Sunday evening or will the spoils be shared?
How the bookies view it: A tough match to call
These matches are always difficult to call and the bookies have certainly erred on the side of caution ahead of Sunday. Betfred have priced Real Madrid as the narrow favourites at 6/4 while a win for Atletico Madrid has been priced at 9/5. The draw, which would keep both teams' unbeaten starts alive, has been priced at 12/5.
Recent head-to-head: Draw central
The price of 12/5 for the draw starts to look very appealing when you look at recent matches between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Last season, the two clubs met on four occasions and three of them were level after 90 minutes. Going even further back, five of the last six Madrid derbies have finished in draws after 90 minutes.
Players to watch: Vini to shine in Mbappe's absence?
While Kylian Mbappe has started to hit top form for Real Madrid, there are concerns about the form of Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian superstar was electric for Los Blancos last season and is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or as a result of that form.
However, he has so far found sharing the limelight with Mbappe quite difficult. Not only do both players want to be the main man at the club but they also like to operate in the same spaces on the pitch. It has made the team look disjointed at times and Vinicius is the one who has suffered the most.
With Mbappe out injured this weekend, Vinicus has the opportunity to show everyone what he's all about once again. His fellow Brazilian, Rodrygo, has also been out of sorts so far this season and the absence of the talismanic Frenchman could allow more room for him to shine, too.
Predicted line-ups
Atletico Madrid are without three first-team players for this one with Cesare Azpilicueta, Pablo Barrios and Thomas Lemar all out injured. As mentioned, Real Madrid are missing Kylian Mbappe on Sunday with the Frenchman joining Brahim Diaz, Dani Ceballos and David Alaba in the treatment room.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak – Llorente, Le Normand, Gimenez, Reinildo, Lino – De Paul, Koke, Gallagher – Alvarez, Griezmann
Real Madrid: Courtois – Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy – Tchouameni – Valverde, Modric – Bellingham – Rodrygo, Vinicius
Anything else catch the eye?
Generally, the derbies played at the Civitas Metropolitano are more exciting than those played at the Bernabeu as Simeone is more likely to open up at home. A total of 11 goals have been scored across the last three derbies played at Atletico's home, which suggests we could be in for a goalfest this weekend. Over 2.5 goals to be scored on Sunday has been priced at 8/11 by Betfred.
This La Liga match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will be played on Sep 29, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
