Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid on Saturday at 16:00 CET at the Santiago Bernabeu, and here are three players on the opposition to watch closely.
Even though Real Madrid haven’t scored on Atletico Madrid during regulation in their match at the Wanda in September or their match in Saudi Arabia in January, they should like their chances of picking up all three points against the team they defeated in the Spanish Supercup Final.
Not only will Real be playing at home, but they’ll be going up against an Atletico side that has been ravaged by injuries. Joao Felix, Kieran Trippier, Koke, Jose Gimenez, Santiago Arias, and Diego Costa are all out with injuries.
That said, Atleti still have a few players who can pose a threat to Real Madrid on Matchweek 22. Here is a closer look at three of them.
Winger Yannick Carrasco
A winger who spent most of his time on the left side of Dalian Professional FC’s attack, Yannick Carrasco could switch to the right side of Atletico’s attack. No matter where he plays on Saturday, he will be starting for Diego Simeone‘s side and has the quality to make an immediate impact.
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In the Chinese Super League, Carrasco was unstoppable, scoring 17 goals with 7 assists in 24 starts. He is a delight to watch on the ball, as he’s full of skill and incisive running. Carrasco is one of the better wingers in the world at drawing fouls, and he is truly exciting to watch on the ball.
The Belgium international could be crucial in creating counterattacking opportunities all on his own for Atletico, so Real Madrid’s stalwart fullbacks must be sure to keep Carrasco quiet. With Joao Felix and Koke out, he is the clear danger man.
CM/LB Saul
If Carrasco is the danger man, then Saul is the most in-form man. He has consistently been one of the best midfielders in La Liga over the years, as he’s full of technical quality at the center of the park with plenty of defensive work rate.
Saul simply does it all. Per WhoScored.com, he is one of Atleti’s top three players in both tackles per game and interceptions per game.
Offensively, Saul won’t be a real threat to Los Merengues with only two goals and zero assists, but his hard work on defense could be important in winning the midfield battle. Zinedine Zidane figures to go heavy with a diamond, and it will be interesting to see how Saul and Fede Valverde duel, especially in the wide spaces.
GK Jan Oblak
But Atletico’s star man is definitely the goalkeeper. Jan Oblak is the reason Real Madrid didn’t pick up all three points at the Wanda Metropolitano in September, as Toni Kroos would have had a brace against any other goalkeeper.
His positioning and reflexes are absolutely outrageous, and he is Real’s biggest obstacle to picking up all three points once again. Oblak has the quality to single-handedly bail out Atleti no matter the onslaught they face.
This season, only Thibaut Courtois and Unai Simon of Athletic Bilbao have fewer goals per 90 allowed and a higher save percentage. Oblak and Courtois are both in the league lead with 10 clean sheets. The stats show Courtois has been better than Oblak this season after turning up the heat over the past couple of months, but Real Madrid fans will still be wary of Oblak’s undeniable quality in goal.