Friday 2 October 2015 15:18, UK
Atletico Madrid host rivals and neighbours Real live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.25pm on Sunday. Here we take a closer look at the fixture and who may come out on top...
How do they stand?
Real Madrid go into this weekend's derby in third spot, but the table could - and perhaps should - look better for Rafa Benitez's side, who were held to a goalless draw by Malaga, despite having 30 shots on goal and playing with an extra man for 13 minutes on Saturday. It was the first time Real have failed to score at home in 56 competitive games; a win would have seen them go top of La Liga.
Atletico Madrid are in fifth, after losing to new league leaders Villarreal, but Barcelona are the only other team to have prevented Diego Simeone's men from winning so far this term. Atletico have also been boosted by the return to form of Fernando Torres; the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker has chalked up two goals and an assist.
What happened when they met last season?
Atletico had a remarkable hold over their rivals last season… until the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final. The pair met no less than eight times but the first seven fixtures saw Atletico unbeaten.
Atletico began 2014/15 with a Spanish Super Cup 2-1 aggregate win over Real in August and followed that up with a 2-1 La Liga win at the Bernabeu in September. They kicked off the new year in style, too, with a 4-2 Copa del Rey success across two legs before a thumping 4-0 victory at home in February confirmed a league double over Real.
The teams were drawn together once again in the Champions League quarter-finals. A goalless draw at the Vicente Calderon in April set up a nail-biting contest at the Bernabeu, where, finally, Real got the better of their neighbours to make the semi-finals.
However, while Atletico enjoyed head-to-head success against Los Blancos last season, they were unable to reproduce the consistency of their 2013/14 title-winning campaign and finished the season third, a distant 14 points behind La Liga runners-up, Real.
Key men
Antoine Griezmann
France ace Griezmann enjoyed an impressive first season with Atletico Madrid in 2014/15, making the La Liga team of the season after netting 22 times in Spain's top flight. No Frenchman has ever scored more in a single La Liga campaign. The 24-year-old has picked up where he left off at the start of 2015/16, with five goals and two assists in all competitions.
"Fernando Torres has played brilliantly but it's to do with Griezmann," said Sky Sports pundit Gerry Armstrong. "Griezmann's movement and passing creates those opportunities for Torres - and he's been taking his own chances, too."
Cristiano Ronaldo
Eight goals in seven games would be the stuff of dreams for most footballers. Yet, Cristiano Ronaldo is considered to be struggling for form. A trip to Atletico Madrid will give the Real talisman the perfect opportunity to silence his critics - and pass the 500-goal mark in all competitions in his career.
However, Armstrong points out his finishing may need to be more precise against Diego Simeone's men. "Ronaldo has been off the boil a bit and missed a lot of chances," Armstrong told Sky Sports. "He had 14 shots against Malaga and only hit the target four times. He's the main man, with Gareth Bale out. All the pressure is on him. Normally he can cope with the pressure but because he's trying to hit a landmark, pass a target, it's playing on his mind."
Pundit prediction
"I think Atletico could cause a surprise," says Armstrong. "Atletico are very well organised, they give very little away. They play very well as a unit, they close down and press, which is something Real Madrid don't like.
"Real Madrid have got better players. Luka Modric I love, he's class. His countryman Mateo Kovacic, who was signed this summer, looks class as well. Karim Benzema has been finding the back of the net recently, too.
"But Real are missing Sergio Ramos and Pepe. At the weekend Nacho came in and did ok, but you can still see his failings. He and Raphael Varane didn't look as comfortable as a Varane and Ramos or Ramos and Pepe pairing would. They're still not totally there yet.
Atletico play very well as a unit, they close down and press, which is something Real Madrid don't like.
"Toni Kroos has also been disappointing. He's not playing that well, gives the ball away and gets caught out. There are a lot of players who need to up the ante by 10-15 per cent.
"A lot has been said about Real's defence under Rafa Benitez - they've only conceded once this season. But they haven't been that negative, they are playing with a lot of adventure.
"But they're missing James Rodriguez. He and Bale should be back in the next few weeks and Ramos is training again. Those are three key players for them and once they get back to full strength they'll be a much better outfit. They still have a great chance to win La Liga with the squad they've got.
"However, Atletico Madrid, right through the heart of their team are very, very strong. It should be a great game!"
