🏏 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 16:15 CEST
Atletico Madrid
vs
Real Madrid
4-4-2 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Matchday 7 brings the Madrid derby between fourth-placed Atlético, who have 13 points from four wins, a draw and a defeat in six games, and second-placed Real Madrid, on 15 points from five wins and one loss in the same number of matches. Only two points separate them, and with Barcelona already on 21 points from seven games, neither side can afford to slip in this one.
- Atlético arrive in form, having won their last two by an aggregate of 7-0: a 3-0 victory away at Real Sociedad on matchday five and a 4-0 home rout of Osasuna on matchday six. The caveat is a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club on matchday four, and their record of 14 scored and six conceded in six games reflects a side capable of both extremes.
- Real Madrid have the most potent attack in this fixture, with 17 goals in six matches. They beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on the opening day, Malaga 4-0 on matchday three and Rayo Vallecano 4-1 on matchday five, then edged Elche 3-2 away last time out. Their only blemish is a 1-0 loss at Real Betis, a reminder that they have already dropped points on the road this season.
- Marcos Llorente faces the club that raised him. The 31-year-old came through Real Madrid's academy and won the Champions League there before becoming one of Atlético's most versatile players, able to operate anywhere from central midfield to right-back, with the running power and sprinting capacity to drive transitions in Diego Simeone's 4-4-2.
- In the other goal stands a player with Atlético on his CV: Thibaut Courtois had a spell at Atlético earlier in his career, before Chelsea and Real Madrid. At 34 the 200cm Belgian remains an elite shot-stopper with excellent one-on-one work and accurate left-footed distribution. He is matched by Jan Oblak, the 33-year-old Slovenia international who has anchored Atlético's defence for years, making this a world-class goalkeeping duel at both ends.
- Atlético's strike pairing is a striking international mix. Canada's Jonathan David, a two-footed finisher who became one of Ligue 1's best forwards at Lille, set his country's all-time scoring record with his 39th international goal in November 2024. Alongside him is Lee Kang-in, the 25-year-old South Korea international and Valencia academy graduate whose left foot and dribbling success rate rank among Europe's best. They face a Real back line of 195cm Dean Huijsen and 194cm Ibrahima Konaté.
- The midfield shapes differ sharply. Atlético's 4-4-2 pairs Álex Baena, a former La Liga assists leader who won the Europa League with Villarreal, with holding midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who arrived after a spell at Real Betis. Real's 4-2-3-1 uses the 187cm Aurélien Tchouaméni next to Uruguay's Federico Valverde, with Jude Bellingham and left-footed Turkish playmaker Arda Güler, 21, of Fenerbahçe fame, operating in front.
- The flanks could decide it. Atlético left-back Álex Grimaldo, a Barcelona academy graduate who was part of Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten title-winning side, brings elite left-footed delivery against Denzel Dumfries, the 30-year-old Netherlands international signed from Inter. On the other side, 190cm right-back Marc Pubill, 23, formerly of Almería, must handle the cut-ins and one-on-one threat of Vinícius Júnior.
- Atlético's centre-back partnership features World Cup winner Cristian Romero, whose aggressive tackling and interceptions define his game, alongside left-footed Slovakia international Dávid Hancko, an Eredivisie champion with Feyenoord. How Romero handles Kylian Mbappé, the 27-year-old World Cup Golden Boot winner whose acceleration is built for running in behind, is the headline duel of the afternoon.
- Both benches are stacked. Atlético can turn to Julián Álvarez, a 2022 World Cup winner who claimed the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester City, club legend Koke with more than 700 appearances, Europa League final hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman and Euro 2024 winner Robin Le Normand. Real counter with Eduardo Camavinga, Antonio Rüdiger, Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Endrick, giving both coaches serious ways to change the game late on.