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Real Madrid will be eager to extend their lead at the summit of La Liga when they face city rivals Atlético Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday.
Zinedine Zidane's side, who are unbeaten in their last 12 games in the Spanish top-flight, had opened up a three-point gap at the top of the league with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid and were further aided by Barcelona's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Valencia over the weekend. Their confidence was further boosted after they established a 4-0 win over Zaragoza in their Copa del Rey Round of 16 fixture on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, fifth-placed Atlético Madrid will hope to turn their fortunes around and put a stop to their winless run of four games in all competitions when they lock horns with their arch-rivals this weekend. Diego Simeone's men were dumped out of the Copa del Rey after succumbing to a 1-0 loss in their Round of 32 fixture against Cultural Leonesa last week before being held to a goalless draw against Leganes at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid Head-to-Head
Real Madrid have historically dominated fixtures against Atlético Madrid with double the number of victories than their neighbours in all competitions. The two sides previously faced off in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier this month in a game that ended with Los Blancos winning the title on penalties at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Real Madrid form guide: W-W-W-W-W-W
Atlético Madrid form guide: W-W-W-L-L-D
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid Team News
Real Madrid will likely remain without the services of Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio as it may be too early for them to play as they continue their recovery from a foot injury and a ligament rupture respectively.
Sergio Ramos is expected to be fully fit to start at centre-back alongside Raphael Varane while Dani Carvajal is also back from suspension and will likely feature at right-back for Los Blancos. Gareth Bale is presumably set to feature on the bench after recovering from a sprained ankle.
Injuries: Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio
Doubtful: Gareth Bale
Meanwhile, João Félix is unlikely to feature in the Madrid derby after picking up a knock in the draw against Leganes. Kieran Trippier is currently recovering from a minor injury problem but could return at right-back for the visitors. Koke is also expected to be fit enough to start in midfield after sustaining an ankle injury in the Spanish Super Cup final. Thomas Lemar, on the other hand, will undergo a late fitness test after missing out last weekend due to illness.
Injuries: Joao Felix
Doubtful: Kieran Trippier, Thomas Lemar, Koke
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid Predicted XI
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Thibaut Courtois; Nacho, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo, Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez
Atlético Madrid Predicted XI: Jan Oblak; Šime Vrsaljko, Stefan Savic, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Thomas Partley, Hector Herrera; Saul Ñíguez, Marcos Llorente, Angel Correa; Alvaro Morata
Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid Prediction
Real Madrid are likely to come out with a win from this fixture considering their phenomenal run of form and the advantage that they have on home ground. Atlético may try to employ tactics similar to that of their Spanish Super Cup final encounter but their inability to kill off games, evident in the nine draws they established this season, coupled with their lack of confidence, is expected to cost them dearly in La Liga once again.
Verdict: Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético Madrid
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