Prediction: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid



Verdict: Real Madrid Draw no bet

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: William Hill

While Atletico Madrid had enjoyed an excellent record in meetings with their local rivals in recent years, everything changed for los Colchoneros, who have now lost two Champions League finals to Real Madrid and are on the verge of yet another costly defeat to los Blancos after the 3-0 setback in the first leg.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid have progressed a great deal under Diego Simeone, becoming one of the leading sides in both Spain and Europe, but while they managed to lift the first La Liga trophy since 1996 three years ago, the Champions League title has remained just a dream. Los Colchoneros came incredibly close to UCL glory in two of last three years, but were eventually beaten by local rivals Real Madrid in the final on both of those occasions. Atletico hoped to get revenge on los Blancos when they were pitted against them in this year’s semi-final, but were unable to match their more illustrious opponents and eventually had to settle for a 3-0 loss. Many people believe the tie is already over, but knowing Diego Simeone and his side, we are convinced they will fight as long as there is even a slim chance that they could make it to the final. The long season appear to have taken its toll on the players while some injury problems made things even more difficult for the head coach, so no wonder Atletico have struggled for form of late. Weekend’s narrow win over Eibar did help the team cement the third position in the La Liga standings, but it remains to be seen whether they can play a perfect game that is needed if they are to stand any chance of overturning the three-goal deficit.

Team News

Stefan Savic returns from domestic suspension, whereas Jose Maria Gimenez and Juanfran Torres are back from injury.



Real Madrid

Even though many people had doubts with regards to Zinedine Zidane’s ability to lead the Real Madrid side, the Frenchman did brilliantly to prove the doubters wrong and is now in a position to make this season a resounding success. Los Blancos have all but secured the first La Liga trophy since 2012, while they are on the verge of reaching third Champions League final in four years. Having recorded a comfortable 3-0 triumph in the first semi-final leg, Real Madrid are one step closer to becoming the first team to defend the covered trophy, although they cannot afford to take the return match lightly. The good news is that los Blancos have been in excellent form of late, winning last four matches on all fronts and scoring 15 goals in the process. Zinedine Zidane was able to rest almost all starters in weekend’s 4-0 triumph over struggling Granada, where the back-ups produced a very good performance, with Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez bagging a brace each. Real Madrid will now be hoping to continue the good run of results in meetings with Atletico and set up a final clash with Italian champions Juventus.

Team News

Daniel Carvajal is set to miss the remainder of the season through a hamstring problem, while Isco will keep his place after yet another impressive performance.

Key Factors to Consider

• Real won last three Champions League meeting with Atletico
• Los Blancos scored nine goals in last four matches vs los Colchoneros (W3 D1)
• Real Madrid won nine successive away games
• Los Blancos averaged more than 3 goals per game during said period (31 goals)
• Atletico won each of last seven games when they kept a clean sheet

Conclusion

Atletico Madrid are in problems after the heavy defeat in the first leg and it is clear Diego Simeone’s charges are running on empty after yet another difficult campaign. Real Madrid are not only on top of their game, but their key men are fully rested and we are backing them to record another good result in the local derby.

Verdict: Real Madrid Draw no bet

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: William Hill