It is now time for a very crucial match-up from Spain, as Atletico Madrid will be hosting Real Madrid in, you guessed it, the Madrid Derby. The match is se to be played on Saturday, November 19th at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid have been undefeated in 16 matches on the road since coach Zinedine Zidane took over, while they are still undefeated in the league since February. Atletico Madrid have fallen off 6 points from the top spot, as they were involved in an unexpected loss against Real Sociedad.
Atletico Madrid (6-2-3) were very unlucky in their most recent league match, as they were defeated by Real Sociedad by 0-2 on the road. What is most frustrating for coach Simeone’s men, is the fact that both goals were scored from penalty kicks, as Atletico’s defense was really shaky at the second half. They are now sitting at the 4th spot of the league with 21 points, and they are already watching Real Madrid from a 6-point difference. They will now need to continue their amazing home streak, as they have been undefeated in their last 22 consecutive matches (18-0-4). Atletico Madrid have conceded 9 goals in 15 matches so far, but lately their defense is not looking good, as they have conceded 6 goals in their last 4. At least they will not be having any injury concerns, as forward Antoine Griezmann wasn’t involved in France’s National Team friendly earlier this week, and he is getting ready to pair with Fernando Torres in Atletico Madrid’s offense.
Real Madrid (8-0-3) were much more effective in their last match before the international break, when they recorded a very easy and professional 0-3 win over Leganes at home. Real Madrid let their foot off the pedal after scoring 3 goals, as they played out the rest of the match without wasting strengths. That victory means that Real Madrid have now won 4 in a row, as they are still cruising at the top of the Spanish La Liga with 27 points. They are running an amazing undefeated run in the league, as they haven’t lost in 23 consecutive matches. Their last defeat dates back to 2013, when Atletico Madrid managed to overcome their rivals. Overall, the team have lost just one match out of the 31 matches since coach Zidane took over (25-1-5), while they also remain undefeated on the road in their last 16 matches (12-0-4). One more interesting statistic is about Cristiano Ronaldo and his inability to score lately in this match-up. The Portuguese star forward has remained goal-less in the last 6 matches between the two rivals. To make matters worse, Real Madrid will be missing key defender Pepe and key midfielder Kroos due to injuries, along with Kasemiro and Morata. On a more positive note, the other key defender, Sergio Ramos along with startinf forward Karim Benzema have overcame their injuries and are once again available.