Real Madrid will have their biggest match in La Liga to this point this season on Saturday, days after winning their biggest Champions League fixture thus far.
On Wednesday night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Real Madrid rose to the occasion. They were reeling after last week’s loss to Shakhtar Donetsk, facing a potential banishment to the Europa League with Zinedine Zidane exiled in kind.
Instead of suffering humiliation yet again in the Champions League, Real Madrid delivered their most commanding performance of the tumultuous 2020-2021 season. They hoarded the ball, ceded just one real chance to Borussia Monchengladbach, and won 2-0 in a match that could have been 5-0 if it were not for Yann Sommer and his trusty left post.
Los Blancos must carry that momentum into Matchday 13 this Saturday night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano against Atletico Madrid. Los Rojiblancos are in first in La Liga with six points between them and Real. And Atleti have a game in hand.
Real Madrid defeated Atleti twice in 2020. First, they won in penalties in the Spanish Supercup. Later, they defeated Los Rojiblancos in La Liga after Karim Benzema’s second-half goal, with Vinicius Junior playing the hero as a game-changing substitution.
Let’s take a look at four things to watch for El Derbi this weekend, as the match should have title implications.