Los Rojiblancos hope to make it seven unbeaten in league games against Real Madrid, in what is Álvaro Arbeloa’s first-ever derby in charge.
LALIGA EA SPORTS Matchday 29 features one of the most anticipated games of the season, as Real Madrid lock horns with Atlético de Madrid once again on Sunday. A well-earned qualification to the Champions League quarter-finals by beating Manchester City twice in the Round of 16 has provided Los Blancos with a major boost in morale ahead of the Madrid derby. A hat-trick by an in-form Fede Valverde allowed Real Madrid to secure a 3-0 victory in the first leg before a brace by Vinícius led to a 2-1 road win that sealed a spot in the major European competition’s top eight. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
Meanwhile, Atlético de Madrid also progressed to the next round of the Champions League knockout stages by overcoming Tottenham Hotspur in the Last 16. Diego Simeone’s side thrashed Spurs 5-2 on home soil before sealing qualification despite losing 3-2 in the English capital on Wednesday. With their confidence sky high, a third-placed Atleti will aim for their fifth straight victory in the league when they travel to the Bernabéu.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s first derby in charge
The current Real Madrid coach may have participated in numerous derbies as a player, but this will be the first time he’ll face Los Rojiblancos as first-team coach. In fact, there is no team he faced on more occasions than Atlético de Madrid, as the former Real Madrid full-back took part in as many as 21 games against Atleti throughout his career.
Arbeloa played once against them during his spell at Deportivo de La Coruña back in 2006/07, with the Galician side grabbing a 1-0 league victory. He also featured in two 1-1 draws in the Champions League against Atlético de Madrid when he plied his trade at Liverpool and helped Real Madrid to victory in 11 of his 18 appearances in the derby.
Having led a second-placed Los Blancos to 12 wins in 16 games across all competitions after taking over from Xabi Alonso back in mid-January, the former Real Madrid Castilla coach is heading into Sunday’s duel on the back of four straight victories. With his players aiming for revenge after the 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Atlético de Madrid earlier this season, Arbeloa is aware that Real Madrid will be in for a tough challenge against Simeone’s side.
Atleti’s strong record in recent derbies
Los Rojiblancos haven’t lost a single league game against Real Madrid since September 2022. Atlético de Madrid have won two of their last six encounters, with the other four league clashes ending in a 1-1 draw. One of those two victories came in Matchday 7 of this season, the first time Atleti netted five goals against their city rivals since 1950.
Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler scored one each to cancel out Robin Le Normand’s opener, but Alexander Sørloth equalised before the break and Julián Alvarez bagged a second-half brace before a late goal from Antoine Griemann sealed an emphatic win at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Simeone’s side will look to double their victories over Real Madrid this season by grabbing their first win at the Bernabéu since back in 2016. Los Blancos have won three of their last nine home games against Atleti, who managed to escape with a draw on six occasions during that stretch.
Meanwhile, Vinícius will look for his first-ever league goal against Atlético, with LALIGA EA SPORTS top scorer Mbappé aiming to add to his tally of 23 goals in as many games after recovering from injury. As for the visitors, Alvarez will hope to get his name on the scoresheet after having netted just once in his last 17 league games, with exciting winter signing Ademola Lookman looking forward to his debut in ELDERBI DE MADRID.
It now remains to be seen if Arbeloa will celebrate his first victory over Atlético as a Real Madrid coach or whether the visitors will manage to extend their unbeaten run against Los Blancos to seven league games.
