Atletico Madrid can move eight points clear of Real Madrid by beating their city rivals this evening, in a much-anticipated derby that could go a long way to deciding La Liga’s title race.
Atletico sit five points ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona, with a game in hand over both, making defeat for Zinedine Zidane’s side almost unthinkable if they want to stay in the race at the top.
After consecutive slip-ups against Levante last month and then a Champions League loss against Chelsea, Atletico suddenly looked vulnerable to the resurgent chasing pack. But a hard-fought win over Villarreal last weekend steadied the ship, while Real Madrid surrendering two points at home to Real Sociedad delivered an unexpected boost.
A combination of the two results shifted the momentum again ahead of the duel between first and third.
Atletico were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid back in December, their one loss sandwiched between 15 league victories as Diego Simeone’s team paid the price for a hesitant performance at Valdebebas.
A similarly reactive display prompted the defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League.
Whether Atletico are given the license to attack Madrid, and have the belief they can beat them, could be crucial to their chances of taking a huge step towards winning their first league title since 2014. — AFP.