The season has only just begun, yet it is already time for the first Madrid derby at the Metropolitano Stadium, with both football giants going into the match in fine scoring form.
Atletico Madrid have made a few missteps since the start of the season, but the same can be said of Real Madrid, who recently lost away to Real Betis. The important thing is that both teams have bounced back quickly, scoring a combined total of seven goals per team in their last two La Liga matches.
Given that they are Barcelona’s main rivals, this match will be crucial to their ambitions for the season. The winner will close the gap on the leaders, whilst the loser could find themselves a long way behind at such an early stage.
The important thing for us is that we’ll be able to enjoy this footballing feast, and the goal-scoring form of both teams suggests another high-scoring thriller. So far, Atletico have scored 14 goals in six matches, whilst Real Madrid have scored 17 in the same number of games.
Defensively, they are level at the moment, having conceded six goals each – a statistic that is sure to worsen after this match.
How the bookies view it: Real Madrid to give Atletico a reality check
It will hardly come as a surprise that Los Blancos are the bookmakers’ favourites. The major changes over the summer have certainly raised the team’s standard. But Atletico also seem to be far more effective in the final third.
At the moment, you can back Atletico Madrid at 13/5, a draw at 14/5, or Real Madrid at 19/20.
Recent head-to-head: Every clash has been a goal fiesta
We could talk for hours about the last few encounters between the two teams, but we all know what they have in common – there are almost always plenty of goals.
Last season, they played each other three times in total, with the matches ending in a 5–2 win for Atletico and two victories for Real Madrid, by 2–1 and 3–2 respectively.
Overall, nine of their last ten matches have seen both teams score. The exception was their Champions League return leg in 2025, when the match was simply too tense and important to take big risks.
Players to watch: Mbappe is unstoppable under Mourinho
Having Kylian Mbappe in your squad could be seen as a cheat code, and this is proving true yet again this season. We’re still right at the start of the campaign, and Mbappe has already scored a total of eight goals, seven of which have come in La Liga.
Indeed, the Frenchman usually struggles against the city rivals, having scored just two goals in a total of five matches against them, but there are plenty of markets offering good value, even if we don’t bet on him scoring.
Probable line-ups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Grimaldo, Le Normand, Romero, Llorente, Lee, Baena, Cardoso, Koke, David, Lookman
Real Madrid: Courtois, Cucurella, Huijsen, Konate, Dumfries, Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe
Anything else catch the eye?
This match could go either way, and could just as easily end up the exact opposite at the last minute. Both teams are in good form and are sure to delight the fans with goals.
If we had to pick a winner, we’d certainly lean more towards Real Madrid at the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if they shared the points, but Jose Mourinho has definitely changed the team’s mentality in his short time there and, in my opinion, they’ll go out there as if it were a final.
GambleAware