Following a midweek of hard-hitting action from the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, football fans turn their attention back to domestic action. The top teams from the most famous leagues are in action in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and the continent’s other major attractions. The game that caught the eye of our dedicated team comes from Spain and is La Liga’s second most famous derby after the El Classico involving Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The fixture that has fans of Spanish football talking this week is the Madrid derby between Atletico Madrid, who enjoys the home advantage, and Real Madrid, who aims to score a win over their rivals on the road. Blancos surrendered their title to Barcelona last season, but look like a team re-born and rejuvenated in La Liga this term. Will they regain the title? That remains to be seen, but beating Atletico would certainly place them on the right path.
Slow start for Atletico
Atletico Madrid remains one of Spanish football’s most successful teams, but they have sat on the sidelines in recent years, watching Barcelona and Real Madrid contest the title. Since their last La Liga championship, the home team has been battling hard to return to former glories. Many of the team’s title-winning connections have departed, meaning it’s on the current crop of players to write their names into the history books. They have started the season slowly, but this game gives the players a chance to get back on track.
A home win over Real Madrid would shunt Atletico a few places up the table, but the result would inject some much-needed confidence into the ranks. A timely reminder they are title challengers could set Madrid’s title challenge alight, but the locals know nothing comes cheaply in this derby. The home team must fight for everything on Sunday, and the players must be on the same page as the fans. If everything falls into place, Sunday could provide a turning point in Atletico’s season.
Real Madrid’s perfect record
Real Madrid was under immense pressure to return to the summit of the Spanish La Liga this season. They won the league title two years ago and had little resistance while Barcelona dealt with their crippling off-field problems. It looked like Barca – having sold Lionel Messi to PSG – would be off the radar for a few seasons at least, allowing Real Madrid to dominate, but that wasn’t the case. Barca won the league last season, ripping the trophy from Real Madrid.
Bet hereThe visitors were tasked with bouncing back at the first time of asking, and they are on course to win the league thanks to a faultless start to the campaign. Real Madrid makes this trip in pole position with five wins from their first five La Liga games of the 2022/23 campaign. They’ve scored ten goals and conceded three, with the 15 points tally two better than Barcelona in second, and Blancos is already five points better than Athletic Bilbao in third position. A sixth win of the season would further strengthen their position.
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid prediction
Atletico Madrid holds the home advantage for this game, and the crowd will be cheering the players on from the first whistle. The atmosphere inside the stadium will be electric, and you can watch the play live on TV from 20:00 GMT on Sunday. It’s the first Madrid derby of the season and an excellent chance for both sets of players to give their fans the early bragging rights by collecting three points.
Real Madrid won the last Madrid derby played at this venue thanks to a 2-1 scoreline last season. That game was one of three played between the teams last term in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Blancos won twice with the spare ending in a 1-1 draw last time when Real was the home team. Both teams have scored in each of the last three meetings, and that may catch the attention of football fans who enjoy following the stats and trends.
La Liga odds
22Bet members can make predictions and place bets on the result of Sunday’s Madrid derby, but which team will finish on top? If you want to choose sides, you can back Atletico Madrid for a home win at 2.79 or take Real Madrid to protect their position with an away win at 2.544. Another draw in this fixture will net you 3.3.
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