The first Madrid derby of the season takes place at the Bernabeu on Saturday evening in a top of the table La Liga clash.
Real Madrid are level on points with early pacesetters Barcelona after six games, with Atletico Madrid two points further back in third spot.
There were fears Los Blancos could struggle this year following the exits of coach Zinedine Zidane and star man Cristiano Ronaldo. There have been a few signs all is not totally well – most notably a 3-0 defeat at Sevilla last time out – but they still look like contenders and have a chance to lay down a marker with a win over Atleti.
Los Colchoneros’ big coup over the summer was keeping hold of Antoine Griezmann and after a few bumps along the road early on, including a defeat at Celta Vigo and a home draw with Eibar, they’ve found a bit of form. Atleti claimed a 2-1 win over Monaco in their Champions League opener and that appears to have been the catalyst for a good run, having since beaten both Getafe and Huesca without conceding.
Draw @ 3.55
The last three meetings between the two Madrid clubs have ended in draws and they have tended to cancel each other out recently.
Real are missing playmaker Isco, arguably their key man when it comes to unlocking opposition defences following Ronaldo’s departure, and first-choice full-backs Dani Carvajal and Marcelo are rated as doubts.
The big concern for the visitors is defender Jose Gimenez, after he was forced off against Huesca on Tuesday. It looks as if he will be available after returning to training, but at this stage he is still rated as a doubt.
These matches are always hard-fought affairs and Saturday’s late La Liga match-up should be no different, and the two sides may have to settle for a point – which would be a better result for Atleti than it would for Real.
Exact Score 1-1 @ 6.70
The forwards may dominate the headlines when it comes to these two Spanish heavyweights, but both boast awesome back lines too. Last season in La Liga the Madrid derbies ended 0-0 and 1-1 and goals could be at a premium again this weekend, so 1-1 looks a solid option for an exact score bet.
Antoine Griezmann – Total shots over 2.5 @ 2.10
If Atleti are to get anything out of the game, the performance of Griezmann will be key.
The French star is the most likely contender to lead a counter or be the man picked out as Atleti try and hit Real on the break and chances are he’ll manage to create space for a few shots over the course of the match. Griezmann also likes to try his luck from range and free kicks, so expect him to come up with over 2.5 shots over the course of the 90 minutes at the Bernabeu.
