The El Derbi Madrileño is one of the biggest games in Spanish football as the 34-time kings of Spain meet with their arch rivals of a lesser status, Atletico Madrid, who despite their rise under Diego Simeone the past decade, still trail their nemesis most years.
Atletico are the reigning champions of Spain right now, preventing Real from title number 35 last season with their defensive brilliance and goals from stars like Luis Suarez.
🎬 TODAY | 5pm GMT | #LaLigaTV🗣️ ❝𝙸𝚏 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚗...❞🌎🇵🇹🌟 @joaofelix70 previews Sunday's Madrid derby in the new episode of #LaLigaWorld! pic.twitter.com/Hg6SZ7zacu— LaLigaTV (@LaLigaTV) December 7, 2021
🎬 TODAY | 5pm GMT | #LaLigaTV🗣️ ❝𝙸𝚏 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚗...❞🌎🇵🇹🌟 @joaofelix70 previews Sunday's Madrid derby in the new episode of #LaLigaWorld! pic.twitter.com/Hg6SZ7zacu
This was their 11th time being crowned champions of Spain, and it still shows the almighty gap between the two sides.
However, with Atletico able to get back within seven points plus a further game in hand, it’s turned out to be one of the biggest El Derbi Madrileño clashes in recent memory.
Unsurprisingly, there is quite a bit of a gap between the two as Real have won 112 matches, 89 of which have come in the league, 17 in the cup and five in the Champions League. Moreover, they've smashed in 293 goals in these games while letting in only 217.
Colchoneros, on the other hand, have won just 56 games. The majority of these have come in the league (39), with 11 others coming in cup matches, plus one Super Cup win where they actually boast more than Real, as they failed to win in that competition. Atletico still have two Champions League wins over Real two, but given their two final losses to their rivals here, these two wins mean nothing to the fans.
It’s rare that two clubs of the same league meet in Europe due to the structuring of the draw and there’s often only ever two or three of them from the same league in the knockout rounds. To meet in a Champions League final with a league rival is another, but to do so on two occasions within five years is absolute madness, and for the city of Madrid, this happened.
Once again, no winners for guessing that Real reigned supreme, but both victories in these Champions League finals were narrow. Back in 2013/14, as the champions of Spain, Atletico led 1-0 until the 93rd minute when Sergio Ramos popped up with a goal. Fatigue soon kicked in and Gareth Bale, Ronaldo and Marcelo made it 4-1 in a cup final scoreline that far from told the story of the first 90 minutes.
Two years on, quite incredibly, the two met again where Ramos scored once more. Yannick Carrasco scored late on and penalties eventually came where Real sealed their record 11th title.