Sky Live: A Madrid v R Madrid

It may not be El Clasico, and it’s rarely been a classic in recent years, but the ramifications in the La Liga title race are no less important.

As the line-up in two of the last three Champions League finals, few fixtures hold more significance in world football than when the two sides of the Spanish capital collide.

This not just a derby though, but a clash of philosophies as Diego Simeone’s relentlessly organised and ferocious counter-punching unit come up against Zinedine Zidane’s collection of stars. 

As the most recent Madrid representatives to win La Liga, Atletico no longer live in the shadows of their neighbours, commanding a dominant head-to-head recent domestic record.

Indeed, no side are more effective at nullifying Real Madrid’s attacking threat, with Simeone’s men mastering the art of neutralising Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The stats make that clear. Ronaldo has failed to score in his last six Madrid derbies, while the only time Bale has found the net against Atletico was his extra-time …

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