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Last night, Atletico Madrid left it late as they completed a comeback in the last few minutes of the game to beat rivals FC Barcelona and reach the finals of the Spanish Super Cup. Thanks to goals in the 82nd and 86th minute, Diego Simeone's men saw off a strong Barca team and set up a clash in the finals against their bitter rivals Real Madrid this Sunday night in Riyadh.
This encounter between the two teams from the Spanish capital will be the latest instalment in the Madrid derby, a fixture already filled with highlights and memorable moments which no one can forget. These two clubs despise each other with every fibre of their being, and it is always a great clash when they meet head to head in a game.
Be it the two Champions League finals where Real beat Atletico in 2014 and 2016, or the UEFA Super Cup Final which Atletico won in 2018, the Madrid derby rarely disappoints.
Both these sides are in top form right now, with Zinedine Zidane's men being unbeaten in the last 15 games and Simeone's side winning five of their last six games. No matter who the victor is at the end of 90 minutes (or beyond), this game promises to be a high-octane clash. In this article, we take a look back at the previous three meetings between the clubs -
#1 Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid, 28th September 2019
As mentioned above, the Madrid derby rarely disappoints - this particular match during the 7th game week of the 2019-20 La Liga season was one exception. Ending in a goalless draw, this was a game of few chances as both teams came close to getting a goal, but ended up short on each occasion.
Karim Benzema came closest to scoring at the Wanda Metropolitano but Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a fine save to keep out the French forward's header. Atletico's new signing Joao Felix twice fired wide in the first half, while Gareth Bale lashed an effort off target after the break. Both the teams seemed a bit off their game as fans witnessed an unusual Madrid Derby where neither team looked like they quite wanted all the three points.
It was, however, a good result for Real Madrid as they kept their hold at the top of the table with Atletico one point behind at the time. It was a bad day at the office for Eden Hazard, who was expected to announce himself in his first big game in Spain, whereas the always brilliant Oblak was probably the man of the match. The two sides have not met since then, and fans will be hoping that they see at least one goal this time around.
#2 Atletico Madrid 1-3 Real Madrid, 9th February 2019
This game was more of a derby than the one which took place more recently - we saw four goals and a red card as then manager Santiago Solari guided his Real Madrid team to victory at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The visitors dominated the hosts from the opening whistle in the 23rd game week of the 2018-19 La Liga season. The consistent and brilliant Casemiro stepped up for the Los Blancos again as he swerved a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Oblak to give his team the lead in the 16th minute of the game.
Antoine Greizmann dragged his team back in what would be his final goal for Atletico in this fixture, but the French international's efforts were in vain as his team conceded two more goals and lost the game.
Midfielder Thomas Partey was sent off for a bad challenge which earned him a second yellow card, but the damage was done by then. Real's captain Sergio Ramos scored a penalty, and Gareth Bale scored the only goal of the second half in what was arguably Solari's highlight as the coach of the 13 times European Champions.
Also read - Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Spanish Super Cup final preview
#3 Real Madrid 0-0 Atletico Madrid, 29th September 2018
Perhaps these two sides should not meet in the 7th game week of the season, for the game is destined to end in a 0-0 draw. One year and one day before the Madrid Derby of the 2019-20 season ended in a goalless draw, the Madrid Derby of the 2018-19 season ended with the same scoreline.
It was Julen Lopetegui's only Madrid Derby in charge, and it ended up being as drab as his reign in the Spanish capital.
It is something to ponder over that the last three Madrid derbies have seen three different managers at the helm of Real Madrid, but it was performances such as these which made club president Florentino Perez make the decisions he did.
Diego Simeone's men journeyed to the Santiago Bernebeu with all the pressure on the underperforming Lopetegui, and both the teams failed to deliver a good game.
There were seven yellow cards handed out in this match, but goalkeepers Oblak and Thibaut Courtois were barely troubled as Real were still trying to deal with life post-Cristiano Ronaldo. All in all, this game was one of the most forgettable Madrid derbies of this century.
