Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid currently sit atop the La Liga standings with 18 points each. Atletico’s superior goal difference sees them in the pole position after an emphatic start to the season.
Each of the Madrid clubs have won and drawn the same amount of matches (5-3-0) and have dominated recent UEFA Champions League competitions, meeting in the final in two out of the past three seasons.
It is certainly noteworthy that Villarreal are also unbeaten this season, but the Yellow Submarine will eventually struggle to match up to the Madrid teams.
Looking ahead at the upcoming La Liga schedule, we examine which of the top two teams in the standings will fall first.
ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico Madrid and manager Diego Simeone have once again displayed incredible determination and quality.
A disciplined and organised defence compliments a strong attack, as Los Rojiblancos have overwhelmed their competition in many matches.
Wingers Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Carrasco lead a dominant line that is capable of putting up goals in bunches, as Granada learned this past Saturday in a 7-1 Atletico victory.
A difficult encounter awaits as the club hosts Sevilla this coming weekend, with the visitors in fine form and only a point behind the home side in the standings.
A home matchup with Malaga and an away trip to Real Sociedad follow. The key date for Simeone and his team will be November 19th when they host Real Madrid at the Estadio Vicente Calderon in what is sure to be a massive encounter.
REAL MADRID
Real Madrid and manager Zinedine Zidane began 2016-17 firing on all cylinders, winning their first four league matches. Three consecutive draws followed as Los Galacticos struggled to put away the opposition.
During the winless stretch, Real Madrid’s attack seemed stifled at times. The frontline of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema had difficulty getting in sync and often sputtered in the final third.
However, a solid midfield featuring Toni Kroos and Luka Modric almost always kept the match in front of them.
A dominant 6-1 victory at Real Betis proved Real’s attacking impetus, as they prepare to host Athletic Bilbao this coming weekend. An away fixture against Alaves is followed by a match against Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The coming weeks should see Los Blancos keep their unbeaten streak alive.
The Madrid derby that awaits on November 19th is certainly one that is marked on the club’s calendar.
PREDICTION
Both Madrid clubs should come into their first league match against one another still unbeaten, and the result next month will ultimately be crucial to the La Liga title race.
Atletico Madrid haven’t lost to their city rivals in the last three La Liga seasons, winning four and drawing two during that span.
But Real Madrid have had the edge in their Champions League finals, lifting the European title in both of the meetings.
In the end, expect to see Atletico keep their unbeaten streak intact when they host Real Madrid, with the La Liga title race bound to take further twists and turns as the season unfolds.
