As Real Madrid head to Atletico on Sunday, for what is certain to be yet another spirited edition of the Madrid Derby, they’ll be without the services of their biggest brand name star. Kylian Mbappe is out injured, but there is still plenty of talented, big name players left.
Jude Bellingham and Vini are still fit, so it’s not like Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t have plenty of other Ballon d’Or quality players to call upon.
El Derbi Madrileño FYIs
Real Madrid at Atletico Madrid
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 29, 8pm, Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
Team News: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
Form Guide, Standings: Real Madrid DWWWW 2nd, 17 pts Atletico Madrid DWWDW 3rd 15 pts
Result Probability: Real Madrid 56% Draw 23% Atletico Madrid 21%
That said, the last La Liga fixture edition of the capital city derby was a tightly contested, low scoring affair (last February) that ended in a score draw. This one may have a similar final score.
Real Madrid Starting XI Prediction at Atletico Madrid (Madrid Derby or Capital City Derby)
Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy; Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric; Jude Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.
