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The Spanish capital of Madrid will come to loggerheads this Sunday as Real Madrid host city rivals Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in this season's second El Derbi madrileno.
Coming off the back of some gruelling ties in Europe, the teams have no time to catch a breather and take each other on a clash that can be pivotal in the race to a second place finish.
The Madrid sides are placed only four points apart in the table, as Los Blancos are breathing down the necks of their crosstown nemesis on third. However, by the end of this week, the gap might be reduced to just one. Here's why Real Madrid can beat Atletico Madrid.
#4 Real Madrid had a good two days in hand over Atletico
Silly it may seem, but sometimes the number of gaps between two games for a side does play a part in its performance. And Real Madrid enter the derby after a healthy gap of five days; a good 48 hours more to rest and recuperate than their rivals who played Sporting Lisbon only on Thursday.
The Merengues obviously had a tougher week with the trip to Turin and a Champions League challenge in the form of Juventus. So they can afford to repose a bit given the additional time in hand ahead of the clash. Or instead, utilize it for better practice.
Los Rojiblancos, on the other hand, can afford no such liberty and would have to head back to the drills shortly after their Europa League fixture. This leaves a possibility for fatigue to rear its head over the visitors in the tie, and ultimately, make the difference.
#3 Europa League taking precedence for Atletico
Even if they were to claim a win here and remain hot on the heels of Barcelona, a 9-point gap at the top of the table is still too wide to cement with only eight games remaining. And for that matter, the Blaugrana don't look like ceding such a healthy lead either. They never did.
So with the Europa League perhaps the best chance of a silverware this season, Atletico know exactly which side of the bread is buttered and would definitely go for the kill.
The Colchoneros have stepped one foot in the semi-finals of the competition after the 2-0 win over Sporting Lisbon yesterday, and with the greatest of respect to all the teams involved, Arsenal remain the only real threat on their way. But then again, given the way the Gunners have bottled this season coupled with Atletico's own experience in Europe's biggest of the stages, a victory in Lyon is very much on the cards.
This may compel Simeone and co. to put all their eggs in the Europa League basket, as this is anyways one of the most inconsequential Madrid derbies in the recent memory.
#2 The Whites have improved vastly in the recent weeks
Real Madrid were all but a band of busted flushes in the first half of the season. Worn down after two seasons at the top, the team were suddenly running out of gas and everything that that could possibly go wrong, did go wrong.
The Pandora's box was literally open. But since the turn of the year, there has been a considerable upswing in form and fortunes as Los Blancos now look more like the team that romped to the second consecutive Champions League title last season, and the spirits couldn't have been any higher following the 3-0 vanquish of Juventus on Tuesday.
Potent going forward, dominating in the midfield and terrific down the wings, the current version of the team is every bit formidable; capable of challenging the mightiest sides out there. And even if Real's title hopes in La Liga are slimmer than a thread, there's pride on the line and that should be reason enough to execute the best version of themselves and claim a win.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible form in 2018
Could there possibly be a more decisive factor at the moment? Especially after what we witnessed in the Champions League this week? Cristiano Ronaldo has risen from the ashes of the first half of the campaign like a phoenix since the turn of the year, and there's absolutely no stopping him at the moment.
With 18 league goals this calendar year, the Portuguese ace has stormed back in the race for Golden Boot out of nowhere. He's scored in each of his last 9 appearances in all competitions and only trails great rival Lionel Messi by four goals for the Pichichi trophy.
After another talismanic performance against the Bianconeris, Ronaldo is brimming with confidence and would be chomping at the bit to add another big name to his scoring charts for the season. That in itself should see him go on to play an influential role in the match.
