The leader and the champion meet in the Madrid derby

The efforts, from both sides, to lower the significance will not detract from a derby that has always been key in the fight for the title in its recent history. As true as that much of the championship remains to be disputed, is that the distance that Real Madrid would take in the event of extend your streak (He arrives launched with nine consecutive wins), would begin to acquire an insurmountable appearance for the rest of the candidates. Those of Carlo Ancelotti are looking for a rival and feel that Atlético de Madrid is the most capable of fighting until the end for the crown.

It is the great goal of Ancelotti. The only great League that is missing from its showcase full of trophies. Fired at her with a seamless block that has found regularity without rotations, with the option of matching her second best streak on the white bench, ten wins, in duels that she opts from defensive safety. Without conceding goals in his last three commitments against rivals of the entity of Real Sociedad, Athletic Club or Inter Milan.

If the Spanish League became Ancelotti’s desire, his coaching efforts with Diego Simeone became personal challenges in his first stage. The Italian was unable to defeat the Argentine in his four league derbies, settling scores in the ‘Champions’, giving Real Madrid the desired tenth and in a subsequent tie that spice up a great duel, full of respect. No letters to keep for the madridista in the present. Forced to modify his system in the past until he found the formula to defeat Atlético, now he remains faithful to a 4-3-3 that exploits the virtues of his players.

The white goal scorer, Karim Benzema, reestablished from his muscular ailments in the hamstrings, arrives on time for the big event to be a starter. And in the wind in favor of madrisista, he even returns to the scene Gareth Bale, absent since the end of August, to raise the level in the changes. Because Ancelotti’s eleven is untouchable and the only doubt to clear lies in the continuity of Rodrygo or the start input of Marco Asensio after his great goal against Inter.

Everything points to the presence of the Brazilian in the search for speed on the wings, with Vinícius on the left looking to reign for the first time in a derby if he extends his leadership moment. Time advances and seeks new kings. Sergio Ramos left and Benzema will be the one who has played the most derbies, 36 for the 31 of Koke Resurrección, with two debutants of weight as starters in their teams: David praise at Real Madrid and Rodrigo De Paul at Atlético. The new faces of a duel of greatness.

It is a decisive derby for Atlético de Madrid, which puts its survival in the fight for the title at stake, even though the players project from the inside out that it is not a decisive duel and that they resort to the fact that there will be 24 games left for play. But ten points away At this point it is a considerable distance and after the first third of the championship, the rojiblanco team has not found the version it is still pursuing.

Like last Tuesday in Port, is debated between the jump or the fall, this time in LaLiga Santander. His margin of error has been reduced to nothing, pressured this Sunday by circumstances, expectations and, above all, the classification, the best reflection of the dimension of this derby (or win or it is out of the race for the League) and also of this Atlético, which has added only 19 of the last 30 points in dispute in this tournament or that they have won only eight of their last 18 matches across all competitions.

There are no middle terms anymore. Less in a derby that has not won since he was proclaimed champion of the European Super Cup on August 15, 2018 in Tallinn. Since then, he has chained seven duels against the eternal rival without a single victory. If he loses this Sunday, he remains thirteen points behind the white leadership; If he wins, he gets to seven, which would be four in the event that the rojiblanco team overcomes its postponement in Granada. A substantial difference, a bet on all or nothing, a challenge that marks the league course for the current champion.

Revitalized in Porto, more for the claim of the scoreboard and the pass to the round of 16 than for the game, more shocking because of the way to recover from the setbacks than for the control of the match, Atlético need much more to compete for everything that intends and in the way you imagine. TO Jan Oblak at the level of Do Dragao, a more reliable defense, a faster transition, a more resounding attack, to Griezmann, to Luis Suárez …

The Uruguayan forward is the doubt of the derby. Thursday’s tests ruled out that there is a muscle break in the adductor, he already trained both on Friday and this Saturday with the group and his presence in the call is safe. Its ownership, on the contrary, is unlikely. And, predictably, Cunha will not supply it in the eleven. The variation between the two that he handled on Friday may now lead to neither of them playing the derby at the start. It is a now latent possibility. At once, Thomas Lemar and Yannick Carrasco will be both headlines.

In the attack it is safeo Antoine Griezmann, which no longer rotates, as indisputable as in the past at Atlético, with intervention in nine goals in the last ten games -all in the starting eleven- and in four in the three most recent official games, through two goals and another two goal passes. He will be seconded at the Santiago Bernabéu by Ángel Correa, Rodrigo de Paul, Koke Resurrección and Thomas Lemar, in a probable 5-4-1 or 5-3-2. And Joao Félix? Nor will it have a place in the eleven. It will start on the bench … except surprise.

Behind, predictably, the defense will be five. It is the structure in which, today, your team feels best. Without Stefan Savic and José María Giménez available – they are two of the team’s four casualties for the derby, along with Sime Vrsaljko and Kieran Trippier-, the center of the defense will be for Felipe Monteiro, Mario Hermoso and Geoffrey Kondogbia, the solution to the double absence in that demarcation, while the lanes will be covered as in the last duels by Marcos Llorente and Yannick Carrasco.