Preview: Atlético out to end Alonso’s perfect start at Real Madrid
LaLiga’s leaders face their arch-rivals at the hostile Metropolitano.
By Filip Mishov
Atleti can kick-start their season with a positive result in the Madrid derby
Los Rojiblancos waited until after September’s international break for their first win of the season, which does not bode well for Diego Simeone after the club spent over €175 million in the summer transfer window, with only their cross-town rivals and next opponents, Real Madrid coming close to that level in LaLiga.
With that being said, El Cholo’s jubilant run down the touchline after Atlético Madrid’s comeback win against Rayo Vallecano did not come as a surprise, as the under-fire coach was desperate for a midweek victory ahead of the Madrid derby.
Some have mentioned that the difficulty of Real Madrid’s early season fixtures has given Xabi Alonso something of a grace period but nevertheless, they’ve won all seven of their competitive games, a run that concluded with Kylian Mbappé & co. securing a dominant win at Levante during the week.
Now, the biggest test of the new era awaits, and the newly-appointed coach is tasked with improving Real Madrid’s record (4L, 4D, 2W) at the Metropolitano, as Los Blancos have witnessed only two wins in all competitions since Atlético moved to the stadium in 2017.
Key players
Julián Álvarez is Atleti’s top scorer with four goals this season and the Argentinean striker scored an incredible hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano to lift his team up to eighth ahead of the weekend. La Araña recorded a near-perfect FotMob rating of 9.7 by displaying his full attacking repertoire and finding the back of the net both from inside and, more spectacularly, from outside the box to complete the comeback. The 25-year-old also has a good record in the derby having scored a couple of goals against Real Madrid last season.
Even though Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé are stealing the headlines, Franco Mastantuono is quietly evolving into a key player since arriving at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The Argentinean prodigy has started all but one match this season and the 18-year-old scored his maiden goal with an exquisite strike against Levante, earning him a FotMob rating of 8.2.
Team news
Diego Simeone did not have the luxury to rotate during the week given recent results and no major changes are expected in Atletico’s starting lineup this weekend, with José Giménez, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada all missing the Madrid derby through injury.
With Daniel Carvajal, Éder Militao and Aurélien Tchouaméni earning a well-deserved midweek rest, all three are expected to return to Real Madrid’s starting XI on Saturday, while it will be interesting to see whether Jude Bellingham will be included after just coming back from injury. Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold are sidelined and not expected to return before next month at the very least.
Prediction
Despite Atlético Madrid’s troubles this season, Diego Simeone will inevitably fire up the squad to get a result in the derby, while Xabi Alonso will be cautious and look to defend his perfect start, leaving a feisty draw as the most realistic outcome.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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