Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: La Liga – preview, crew information, prediction | Soccer
Who: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
What: La Liga
Where: Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
When: Sunday, September 20, at 4:15pm (14:15 GMT)
How to observe: Al Jazeera Sport will carry you all of the build-up from 11:15 GMT earlier than our dwell textual content commentary stream
Atletico host bitter metropolis rivals Real for the Madrid derby as either side look to maintain up with early La Liga pacesetters Barcelona.
Madrid path unbeaten champions Barcelona on the prime of the desk by three factors, with Atletico third.
Atletico have bounced again from back-to-back defeats to Bilbao and Liverpool earlier in September, beating Real Sociedad 3-0 and Osasuna 4-0 of their final two video games.
Real come into the sport in first rate kind underneath boss Jose Mourinho however have had wobbles this month, with a defeat to Betis and scoring late to beat backside membership Elche after squandering a two-goal lead.
Improving Atletico cruise to win over Osasuna
Atletico Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 on Wednesday to construct some kind within the run-up to Sunday’s derby conflict towards rivals Real Madrid.
Jonathan David, Lee Kang-in, Robin Le Normand and Alex Baena’s objectives helped Diego Simeone’s aspect cruise to a cushty dwelling victory.
They have been with out injured striker Julian Alvarez, nevertheless it didn’t matter after they secured a second straight win to chop the hole on prime two Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The snug victory was vital for an Atletico aspect with a lot of new faces nonetheless bedding in, after two defeats of their three matches prior.
“We managed it within the first half regardless that we weren’t medical,” mentioned coach Diego Simeone. “We have been medical within the second half and managed the sport.”
Mourinho rues lack of recreation management
Real Madrid squandered a two-goal lead earlier than substitute Carlos Espi struck in stoppage time to safe a dramatic 3-2 victory at Elche in La Liga on Tuesday.
Real went 2-0 up inside 33 minutes by means of a Matias Dituro personal objective and Kylian Mbappe, however second-half strikes from Abiel Osorio and Fer Nino hauled Elche stage earlier than Espi restored the guests’ lead within the 91st minute.
It was the second time in six league matches that the 21-year-old Espi had come off the bench to attain a late winner, though Mourinho remained involved by Real’s failure to regulate the second half prematurely of Sunday’s derby towards Atletico Madrid.
“The downside appears apparent to me. It’s more durable to know why, nevertheless it’s simple to know that there are matches that appear over and, ultimately, aren’t,” mentioned Mourinho.
“[There are] matches the place we’ve three, 4, 5 possibilities to complete them and don’t,” he mentioned on the pre-match information convention.
“After failing to take action, it seems like we go from ease, as a result of it appeared simple, to dropping management.”
Mourinho mentioned his crew’s defensive points have been of concern.
“Not only for Sunday’s match, however for each match. I like my crew to attain objectives … however I additionally like controlling matches,” defined Mourinho.
“I don’t like gifting management. It’s not concerning the objectives, it’s about freely giving management of the match.”
Prediction
The Opta supercomputer has made Real Madrid the favourites, with a win likelihood of 46.6 %. Atletico got a 28.3 % likelihood of profitable, whereas a draw was estimated at a 25.1 % chance.
Head-to-head
The rivals have confronted one another on 243 events; Real Madrid received 125 video games, Atletico received 60, whereas 58 matches ended as attracts.
Last 5 encounters:
- March 22, 2026: Real Madrid 3-2 Atletico (La Liga)
- January 8, 2026: Atletico 1-2 Real Madrid (Spanish Super Cup semifinal)
- September 27, 2025: Atletico 5-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
- March 12, 2025: Atletico 1-0 Real Madrid (Champions League final 16, second leg)
- March 4, 2025: Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico (Champions League final 16, first leg)
What occurred the final time the 2 golf equipment performed one another?
Vinicius Jr scored twice as Real Madrid fought again to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on the Santiago Bernabeu in a breathless Spanish capital derby in March.
Atletico’s Ademola Lookman opened the scoring within the thirty third minute, ending a slick counterattack involving Matteo Ruggeri and a pleasant back-heel from Giuliano Simeone.
Vinicius equalised from the penalty spot within the 52nd minute, after David Hancko clumsily tripped Brahim Diaz, and Federico Valverde capitalised on a Jose Maria Gimenez error three minutes later to make it 2-1 to Real.
Nahuel Molina silenced Real’s Bernabeu stadium with a thunderous 30-metre strike in the 66th minute, however Vinicius restored Real’s lead with a cracking solo effort six minutes later.
What occurred within the corresponding fixture final season?
Julian Alvarez scored twice as Atletico Madrid got here from behind to thrash metropolis rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a pulsating derby in September 2025.
Atletico’s aggressive begin paid off when Robin Le Normand opened the scoring with a header within the 14th minute.
However, Kylian Mbappe burst by means of to stage with an unstoppable strike from shut vary in a fast counter within the twenty fifth minute, with Arda Guler netting a volley from a Vinicius Jr cross 11 minutes later to place the guests in entrance.
Alexander Sorloth’s header in added time earlier than the break gave Atletico a lift, they usually regained the lead 5 minutes into the second half when Alvarez transformed a penalty after Guler’s excessive boot clipped Nico Gonzalez on the face contained in the field.
After Alvarez prolonged their lead within the sixty fourth minute with a elegant free kick into the highest nook, substitute Antoine Griezmann sealed the win in a fast counter in added time.
Atletico Madrid’s crew information
Alvarez, Pablo Barrios, and Sorloth are doubts, as all three are fighting muscle points.
Jonathan David is more likely to proceed up entrance if Alvarez is absent or begins on the bench.
Predicted beginning XI:
Oblak (goalkeeper); Llorente, Romero, Le Normand, Grimaldo; Lee, Koke, Cardoso, Baena; David, Lookman
Real Madrid’s crew information
Eder Militao, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy are unavailable attributable to accidents, however in any other case Mourinho seems to have a full squad to select from.
Predicted beginning XI:
Courtois (goalkeeper); Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
