Preview
On Saturday in La Liga, defending champion Real Madrid hosts Atletico Madrid in a match at the Santiago Bernabeu. On Saturday night, Real Madrid will host Atletico Madrid in Spain’s premier division for the most recent iteration of the Madrid derby at the Bernabeu.
The home team has won five times overall and in the past two league games. Last Saturday, Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio scored late goals to help them defeat Osasuna 2-0 in the league. In the first leg of the Round of 16 matches against Liverpool, Madrid came back from two goals behind to win 5-2, continuing their impressive recent performance in the UEFA Champions League.
That was a fifth successive win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, a run that has also seen them lift the FIFA Club World Cup. Real is second in the table with 51 points while Atletico is 10 points back in fourth place.
In contrast, Atletico has also triumphed in its past two league contests, each by a score of 1-0. They defeated Athletic Bilbao over the weekend thanks to a strike from Antoine Griezmann in the second half.
Form Guide: Real Madrid
When Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid square off at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday for round 23 of the Spanish La Liga, the two clubs’ rivalry will be reignited. Real is in second place with 51 points, 10 points ahead of Atletico, who is in fourth.
Real Madrid is heading into this weekend with a five-game winning run overall, with the most recent victory coming in the Champions League in midweek. The team led by Carlo Ancelotti defeated Liverpool 5-2 away from home to take command of their round of 16 matches. Both Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior scored twice in the game and will provide a threat in the local derby on Saturday.
Los Blancos have won their past two league games by scoring six goals and allowing none since returning from the Club World Cup. Yet, they are eight points behind league leaders Barcelona and cannot afford to regress more if they want to win the championship again.
The return of Aurelien Tchouameni, a midfielder who missed the trip to Liverpool due to illness, might help Real in this match. David Alaba and Rodrygo won’t be there, either, after they were forced to leave the game against Liverpool due to injury.
Form Guide: Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid has been playing well recently in the league, and they enter this round riding a six-game winning streak that includes two victories in their past two games.
The team of Diego Simeone is in the final Champions League qualification slot for the following season and cannot afford to lose any ground to Real Betis, who are just behind them in fifth place.
In their most recent match, Los Colchoneros defeated Athletic Bilbao 1-0, with Antoine Griezmann scoring his eighth goal of the year. In their previous seven games, Atletico has only had one game with more than one goal, and in their last four league games, they have had four different goal scorers.
Due to his suspension, defender Stefan Savic will be out for this game, while Rodrigo de Paul, who was taken off against Bilbao after one hour, is a serious doubt. Given that they have lost to Real twice this year, Atletico will be motivated to prevent a season-long losing streak.
How the game could go
Atletico has gone undefeated in their past six league games and has won four of their last five. Since the Athletic match concluded, they have been practicing for this one. Real Madrid, on the other hand, diverted their attention throughout the preparation, which can give the guests the upper hand.
Atletico Madrid’s success has mostly been attributed to their tenacious defense, but Real Madrid’s strength entering this match has been their wild assault. On Saturday, one must give in. We anticipate this to continue as Atletico hasn’t defeated Madrid on the road in the league in seven years.
Yet, given that this Atletico club is not the same as prior iterations, we anticipate that Ancelotti’s team will successfully navigate their way to a crucial three points this weekend.
Betting Predictions
Real Madrid to Win
The tough stretch of games for Real Madrid continues as they host their city rival Atletico in the next La Liga round, but at least they do it while in solid form, which is also true for Atletico Madrid. Yes, Atletico Madrid has been inconsistent the entire season in La Liga and Europe, but they have done much better in recent games. Still, with Real Madrid hosting the game and being high on confidence after beating Liverpool a few days ago, our first Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid prediction is for Real Madrid to win the match. Bet9ja have 1.85, 1xbet have 1.83 and Paripesa have 1.83 odds.
Under 2.5 goals
Three of the last five head-to-head duels between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all gone under 2.5 total goals and we can see that being the case now as well, so our second Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid prediction is for the game to go under 2.5 total goals. We stick to this prediction despite the fact that Real Madrid has a high average of 2.86 goals per game, while Atletico Madrid averaged 2.18 goals per game in the league so far. Bet9ja have 1.88 odds, Paripesa have 1.97, and 1xbet have 1.97 odds.
Anytime Goalscorer (Real Madrid)
Benzema
Like in many games that Real Madrid played this season in all competitions, the biggest expectations are on Karim Benzema. So, the French striker is our player to watch in this Madrid derby. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner is in great form and enters this match after scoring a brace against Liverpool. Overall, Benzema has eleven goals and three assists in fourteen La Liga appearances this season. Bet9ja have 2.25 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.20.
Vinicius Jr
With Vinicius Junior in terrific form and Karim Benzema netting twice on Merseyside after injury, Los Blancos are in excellent form. The Brazilian winger was vital to his side’s victory against Liverpool on Tuesday. Today Atletico Madrid should Struggle to contain him as he is a very tricky and pacy winger. Bet9ja have 3.60 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 3.50.
Anytime Goalscorer (Atletico Madrid)
Griezmann
When Antoine Griezmann is on song, Atlético Madrid is on song. His own manager admitted as much after a slim victory over Athletic Bilbao last weekend. In that game, Griezmann carried the team on his back. His coach will be counting on him to drop an impressive performance. Griezmann has scored seven goals in 25 games in La Liga against Real Madrid. Bet9ja have 5.00 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 4.50.
Football Lover. All-round junkie of the beautiful game. Could be found watching football most of the time. If not he’s writing about them or making some punditry you don’t agree with. A certain bias for Arsenal and Santos FC.
