Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid – Betting Tips and LaLiga Preview

Ahead of this Madrid derby, Real are proudly sitting at the top of La Liga while Atletico face a battle to secure Champions League qualification for next season as they reside in the fifth position behind Getafe. Both teams are experiencing contrasting fortunes in the current form with Real unbeaten in competitive action since suffering a shock 1-0 loss at Mallorca during mid-October while inconsistency is hampering the ambitions of Atletico. Losing this derby game will be a real blow for Diego Simeone’s players but while they denied Real in the Spanish Super Cup when only losing on penalties, do they possess the qualities to avoid defeat at the Bernabeu?

That 0-0 draw in the Spanish Super Cup was the only occasion this year when Real Madrid have failed to win a competitive match, and in their latest home fixture at the Bernabeu, they overcame third-placed team Sevilla 2-1. Zinedine Zidane’s players also qualified for the next stage of the Copa Del Rey in midweek when winning 4-0 at second-tier team Real Zaragoza, but Real were not such a dominant force before the Winter break. Successive 0-0 draws against both Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao does prove that the current La Liga leaders are not to be feared in Spanish football.

After beating Levante is their opening La Liga game of 2020, the fortunes of Atletico Madrid have taken a turn for the worse with a winless sequence of four matches. The most notable of those games was a Copa Del Rey loss at Spanish third-tier team Cultural Leonesa with a 2-1 loss suffered after extra-time. A strong first team was played in that contest as was the case in a 2-0 loss at Eibar, a 0-0 Super Cup draw against their city rivals and more recent 0-0 stalemate on home soil with Leganes. Regaining winning ways will now be a priority for Atletico, but they have won just once on the road since mid-October.

Team News

Marco Asensio (knee) and Eden Hazard are not expected to feature for Real Madrid, and there are also doubts regarding Gareth Bale (virus/ankle).

Koke (thigh), Jose Gimenez (leg), Kieran Trippier (groin) and Santiago Arias (groin) could all be unavailable for Atletico Madrid while Thomas Lemar has been troubled by illness and a hamstring problem. Diego Costa (back surgery) and Dario Proveda (knee ligaments) are also sidelined.

Prediction

A glance at recent encounters between Real and Atletico Madrid reveals three 0-0 stalemates over 90 minutes in their last five clashes. It is also noticeable that Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao have claimed 0-0 draws at the Bernаbeu since the beginning of November. With Atletico failing to find the net in their last two La Liga fixtures and also not scoring more than twice in any competitive game on the road this season, it may be a good bet for Under 2.5 goals to be scored in this match, priced at 4/6 with Bet365.

A second pick is for Real Madrid to win offered at 4/5 by Bet365. Although Atletico have contained Real in a few previous encounters, their current form suggests a team short on some confidence, unlike their hosts. The red and white striped team have also proved to be vulnerable on the road this term with defeats incurred in the Basque country at Real Sociedad and Eibar. Atletico have also been involved in too many away draws, and while this derby is expected to be a tight affair, a narrow home win is expected.