Real Madrid will go into the Metropolitano knowing that Atletico Madrid will make it tough for them to continue their perfect start to the season. If there is one thing that you can count on when it comes to Diego Simeone’s side, it is that they will be solid at the back and look to strike on the counter.
Real Madrid already have an advantage going into the first derby of the season though and it is the confusing situation of Antoine Griezmann, who is on loan at Atletico Madrid from Barcelona.
Griezmann has been exclusively used as an impact substitute by Simeone this season despite the fact that he is one of Atletico Madrid’s best players and their joint top scorer in 2022/23 alongside Alvaro Morata, even though the Frenchman has played significantly less than the Spaniard.
The reason for this is, Griezmann is on a two-year loan from Barcelona with an obligatory €40 million purchase clause at the end if he plays more than 45 minutes in half of the games that he is available and as a result, he has been stuck making 30-minute cameos. And as reported by Independent.ie, Simeone said:
"“For the moment, we’re carrying on like this.”"
Real Madrid handed Griezmann advantage by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona situation
It is safe to say that this is an advantage for Real Madrid, as their city rivals look set to not start the game with arguably their best player.
According to stats from Transfermarkt, Griezmann has scored 3 goals in 7 appearances this season, while playing 192 minutes of football in total.
On the other hand though, Real Madrid will also be without Karim Benzema on the day, which is a worry for them.
While Los Blancos might have gotten a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig in midweek, they looked toothless going forward for the majority of the game and Atletico Madrid might prove to be significantly harder to break down. Thus, this could be a game of chess between two sides missing their most potent attacking outlets.