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Who: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Riyadh Air Metropolitano successful Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, September 26, astatine 4:15PM (14:15 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 1:15pm (13:15 GMT) successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.
Real Madrid person made a cleanable commencement to the play nether Xabi Alonso, but their caller manager warned against complacency connected Friday earlier his archetypal Madrid derby successful complaint of La Liga’s leaders.
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Alonso spent 5 seasons arsenic a subordinate with Real but present takes his squad to the Metropolitano stadium to instrumentality connected Atletico successful his latest relation with his broadside successful awesome form.
Real person won each six league matches, conceding 3 goals, and clasp a two-point vantage implicit champions Barcelona.
“We’ve lone played six and got afloat points, but immoderate games were a existent struggle, truthful we can’t get overconfident,” Alonso told reporters earlier Saturday’s game.
“You can’t deliberation that conscionable by stepping onto the transportation you’ll triumph due to the fact that of the badge you deterioration oregon the squad we have. I judge the much we amended ourselves to travel retired switched connected for immoderate lucifer astatine immoderate ground, the much games we’ll win.
“And if we triumph a batch of games, if we person that earthy activation, we tin prime up a batch of points. But we mustn’t unbend due to the fact that a lapse tin outgo you.”
Is Real Madrid’s travel Alonso’s archetypal to Atletico arsenic a manager?
Alonso has faced Atletico arsenic manager erstwhile successful complaint of Bayer Leverkusen – drafting 2-2 successful Madrid successful 2022 soon aft taking implicit the German nine and losing 2-1 distant past play – but going determination with Real is simply a precise antithetic prospect.
“It’s decidedly antithetic going to the Metropolitano with immoderate different nine than with Real Madrid,” Alonso said.
“Because of the steadfast rivalry, and I deliberation that’s thing beautiful, thing that’s been enjoyed for galore years, and hopefully, we tin support enjoying it tomorrow, arsenic well.”
How Atletico Madrid signifier up earlier Real visit?
While Alonso’s Real are flying high, Diego Simeone’s Atletico person won 2 of their six league games, which leaves them already trailing their Madrid rivals by 9 points, but those numbers are not truthful applicable astatine this stage.
Real person besides failed to bushed Atletico successful the league implicit the past 2 seasons.
“The standings don’t accidental overmuch close now,” Alonso said.
“Sure, we could widen the lead, but the lucifer is going to beryllium tough; it’s going to beryllium tight. Winning astatine the Metropolitano isn’t easy; we’re going to person to enactment for it.”
Alonso impressed by Simeone but mounting nary targets
Simeone has been successful complaint astatine Atletico for 14 years, but 43-year-old Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti successful June, is not looking that acold ahead.
“What Simeone has done implicit these 14 years astatine Atletico is precise important, not conscionable what he’s achieved,” Alonso said.
“I’m conscionable starting out, truthful I similar to instrumentality things measurement by step. I don’t acceptable specified semipermanent goals.
“The opening has been good, and there’s a agelong roadworthy ahead, truthful we volition see.”
What happened the past clip Real Madrid faced Atletico?
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone famously hates to deviate from the present and now, but erstwhile his squad big Real, it is hard not to look some forwards and backwards.
The past clip these teams met was successful March successful the Champions League past 16, erstwhile Atletico were eliminated aft Julian Alvarez’s controversially disallowed shootout penalty.
The Rojiblancos seethed for weeks astir the incident, with Alvarez ruled to person double-kicked the ball, and their play rapidly flew disconnected the rails. Perhaps they person ne'er afloat recovered since.
STANDINGS | Here's however the #LALIGAEASPORTS array looks after Matchday 6. pic.twitter.com/VlRzyf2ZRB
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) September 25, 2025
Can Simeone crook astir Atletico’s fortunes?
Atletico spent large successful the summer, signing Alex Baena, David Hancko and Thiago Almada among others, for a full of much than 175 cardinal euros ($204m).
“We privation to retrieve successful the champion mode we can,” said Simeone aft his squad came from down to bushed Rayo Vallecano 3-2 successful a thrilling clash connected Wednesday.
“We volition person a truly hard, hard crippled against a broadside that has been winning each their games, and who person a tonne of precise bully players successful their squad.”
What is Simeone’s grounds astatine Atletico?
Simeone this week became the manager who has spent the longest clip successful complaint of a La Liga club, having arrived successful December 2011.
Helping Atletico to scope 2 Champions League finals, some mislaid against Real Madrid successful 2014 and 2016, arsenic good arsenic winning 2 La Liga titles, Simeone has taken the nine to their precise champion moments.
Unfortunately, implicit the past fewer seasons, since they won La Liga successful 2021, the squad person fallen from their peak.
“The squad needs to germinate to the tallness the nine has,” admitted Simeone successful August.
What is Real Madrid’s signifier earlier the derby?
Alonso tin lucifer Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s grounds of 7 consecutive league wins astatine the commencement of a play acceptable successful 2005, if Real look connected apical this weekend.
The main unit down Madrid’s fantabulous results is superstar striker Kylian Mbappe, who leads the scoring charts with seven. The France planetary ended past play successful affluent signifier and has continued that into the caller campaign.
What has been Atletico’s biggest struggle?
Atletico, by opposition to Real, lacked finesse successful beforehand of extremity until Alvarez netted the archetypal hat-trick of his vocation against Rayo to ascent to 4 league goals.
“Julian is the champion subordinate that we have. We request to look aft him, truthful helium stays galore years present astatine Atletico,” said Simeone.
“He has to assistance america and we person to assistance him, truthful helium gets adjacent amended than helium presently is. Each clip helium scores, helium makes the difference, helium helps america truthful much.”
Who and erstwhile bash La Liga champions Barcelona play?
Second-placed Barcelona big Real Sociedad connected Sunday astatine the Olympic Stadium, hoping Real Madrid driblet points truthful they tin adjacent the two-point spread to the top.
Atletico Madrid squad news
Spanish planetary Alex Baena returned from wounded to commencement connected the seat connected Wednesday, portion Alexander Sorloth is backmost from suspension.
Jose Gimenez, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada, however, each stay absent owed to injuries.
Real Madrid squad news
Alonso refused to springiness immoderate clues distant implicit his starting lineup, but said Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga were acceptable capable to commencement aft precocious returning from wounded and playing arsenic substitutes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger each stay sidelined by injury.
Atletico Madrid predicted starting lineup
Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Hancko; Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Sorloth
Real Madrid predicted starting lineup
Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
English (US) ·