Next Sunday, March 2, 2014 (8:00 AM Pacific, 16:00 GMT), Atlético Madrid will entertain their neighbors and rivals of Real Madrid at Vicente Calderon for the round 26 of Liga BBVA, a very important match that could spice up the title race even more.
After their goal galore last Wednesday night at Gelsenkirchen, Real Madrid stretched their confidence levels even further and will surely face next Sunday’s match with extra motivation. As for Atlético Madrid, the recent weeks have been a mix of positive and negative results, with Diego Simeone’s boys somewhat succumbing to the pressure they have on their shoulders.
After last weekend’s major upset at Pamplona against Osasuna, a match during which Diego Simeone left some important players out of the team, the Colchoneros need to bounce back next Sunday in order to keep their title aspirations alive. A match against their all-time rivals is certainly a great opportunity to rally the troops and to grab a win that could restore their confidence levels back to normal again.
Simeone received some good news this week from the club’s medical department. The talented Brazilian left back Filipe Luis is fully recovered from his recent injury and he will surely be part of the team’s starting line-up for next Sunday’s match. On the other hand, David Villa and the flamboyant Brazilian attacking midfielder Diego are still sidelined and won’t constitute an option for the Argentinian head coach.
Real Madrid, who are enjoying a fantastic moment and are currently on a 27-match unbeaten run in all competitions, will have the opportunity to sink their city rivals a bit further down into the table and thus maim their title aspirations. Carlo Ancelotti is currently leading a team that managed to overcome the defensive problems that had affected them earlier this season and he also managed to build up a lethal forward line with Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema, which is a constant threat to every opponent’s back line.
The Italian head coach will have all of the team’s major assets at his disposal, with the exception of the German international Sami Khedira, who is still sidelined due a to serious knee injury.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Prediction
We are on the final countdown for the fourth Madrid major derby of the season and judging by the recent performances and results, Real Madrid has a considerable advantage for next Sunday’s match. Nevertheless, Simeone’s boys won’t surely go down without a fight and they will do everything within their grasp to knock down the “invincible” Real Madrid and to animate the title race at Liga BBVA even further. This being said, the most likely outcome is 2-2.
Possible Line-ups
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2)
Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Mario, Arda, Koke, Raúl García and Diego Costa.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Diego López; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Xabi, Modric; Jesé, Bale, Ronaldo; Benzema
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Television
The Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid match will be televised on beIN Sports USA.
