Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: La Liga – teams, start, lineups

Atletico Madrid will host Real Madrid in a La Liga derby at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on Saturday, September 26, at 4:15 PM (14:15 GMT). The match will be preceded by build-up coverage on Al Jazeera Sport starting from 1:15 PM, with live text commentary available.

Real Madrid, under coach Xabi Alonso, have started the season perfectly by winning all six of their league matches, conceding only three goals, and holding a two-point lead over Barcelona. Alonso cautioned against overconfidence, stressing that the team must remain focused and not assume victory based on their reputation alone.

Alonso, who previously managed against Atletico while in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, highlighted the unique challenge of facing them with Real Madrid due to the historic rivalry. He expressed appreciation for the competitive nature of the derby and hopes it continues to be enjoyable.

In contrast, Atletico Madrid, led by Diego Simeone, have won just two of their six league games, placing them nine points behind Real. Despite this gap, Alonso noted that Real have failed to defeat Atletico in the league over the last two seasons, suggesting that past performances could influence the outcome.

Alonso downplayed the significance of the current standings, emphasizing that it is too early in the season for the table to reflect true form, making the derby an unpredictable encounter.