La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Odds, Preview
Madrid Derby Takes Center Stage
La Liga Match of the Week
After their respective Champions League openers, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will meet on Sunday in the first Madrid Derby of the 2023-24 season. Atletico drew 1-1 vs. Lazio on Tuesday as Lazio’s goalkeeper Ivan Provedel scored a stunning last-minute equalizing header. Real’s Jude Bellingham scored a last-minute goal to put away Union Berlin 1-0 on Wednesday. Los Blancos are a perfect 6-0 in all competitions this season and they’ll put their unbeaten record on the line on Sunday. We’ll preview the Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid odds ahead of the La Liga match of the week.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
Date & Time:
Location: Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Head-to-Head:
Last season, these teams met three times and both teams scored in each match. On the La Liga schedule, Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid at home and Los Blancos picked up a 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid also drew 1-1 with Atletico in normal time of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. scored in extra time to send Real through to the semifinals. Atletico has won just one of the last 12 Derbi Madrileños, in all competitions.
Atletico Shorthanded for El Derbi Madrileño
The international break seemed to have put the brakes on Atletico Madrid’s momentum. In their last match of August, they destroyed Rayo Vallecano 7-0. However, Atletico lost 3-0 to Valencia in their first match of September. Diego Simeone is dealing with a bunch of injuries that have weakened his side as well. Thomas Lemar ruptured his achilles in the loss to Valencia and the midfielder is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
Rodrigo de Paul, Koke, Memphis Depay, Caglar Soyuncu and Reinildo are also currently out. A shorthanded Atletico went on the road on Tuesday to Lazio in their Champions League opener. Pablo Barrios scored his first-ever UCL goal for Atletico Madrid in the first half on a heavily deflected shot. It looked like Atletico would leave Rome with a win but Lazio keeper Ivan Provedel heroically scored a header with the last kick of the match.
Without a win in September so far, the Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid odds price Los Colchoneros as underdogs for Sunday’s match. Granted, Atletico Madrid did have a match vs. Sevilla postponed a couple of weeks back. Atletico are currently in seventh place in the Spanish La Liga standings, with a 2-1-1 record.
Real Stay Perfect
Jude Bellingham came to Real Madrid’s rescue once again on Wednesday as the 20-year-old midfielder scored a late winner vs. Union Berlin in the Champions League. Bellingham pounced on a rebounded shot for the game’s only goal, which kept Real Madrid perfect this season, in all competitions. It’s already the fourth winning goal the English international has scored in his short Real Madrid career.
He leads the La Liga stats with five goals in five games and his offensive output is helping to soften the blow of Vinicius Junior’s injury. Real Madrid’s star winger has missed the last few games with a hamstring injury and it appears somewhat unlikely he’ll be risked for this match. Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Arda Guler are also out for Los Blancos.
Even without number-one keeper Courtois and defender Militao, Real has only conceded three goals in six matches this season. Given the injuries in multiple areas of the pitch, players like left-back Fran Garcia and striker Joselu have stepped up. Garcia provided two assists in Real Madrid’s 2-1 comeback win over Real Sociedad last weekend. Meanwhile, Joselu has scored in his last two La Liga matches and was unlucky not to find the net vs. Union Berlin.
Match Analysis & Odds
The Madrid Derby is quite often a close match and this one isn’t expected to be an exception. In this pick’em, Atletico Madrid pk comes in at even odds, and Real Madrid pk shows -120 odds. The latter has typically been a solid bet in this fixture, as Real Madrid have lost just one of the last 14 La Liga meetings. The Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid odds also price Los Blancos as +160 road favorites.
Atletico aren’t at all far behind, at +180 odds, but their midfield is severely impacted by injuries. Saul, Pablo Barrios, and Marcos Llorente could be Simeone’s midfield trio of choice on Sunday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti can choose between any of Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. The midfield battle could be very important in this match and it’s one that Real should win.
The last time these teams met, back in February, it finished in a draw, and another one displays +240 odds. This is also expected to be quite a low-scoring match, as under 2.5 goals are priced at -120 odds. In a Derby that’s typically decided by fine margins, one mistake or moment of brilliance could be the difference here.
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