27th May 2016

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Atletico Can Beat Real to Win Second All Madrid Champions League Final

For the second time in the history of the Champions League two teams from one city will contest the final this Saturday at the Stadio San Siro in Milan. The match between Real and Atletico from Madrid is a repeat of the 2014 decider when Real equalised in injury time during regular play and went on to score three more times in extra time to record a 4-1 win and finally achieve the ‘La Decima’. Real were champions of Europe for the ninth time in 2002 so it took 12 years to win the competition for the tenth time. The quest to reach ten European titles became an obsession and winning an eleventh will be a difficult task.

Atletico Madrid have never won the Champions League or European Cup. Their city rivals have been champions of Spain 32 times which is a record. Real have won 19 Spanish Cups and in addition to their ten European titles won the old UEFA Cup twice in the 1980’s. The most famous club in Spain are also arguably the best known around the world and any player who says he doesn’t want to play for them is lying or supports Barcelona or Atletico, two huge rivals. Alongside Manchester United they are the most prestigious club side in the game and can attract the best players.

Atletico Madrid have won La Liga ten times but the last winning season was in 1990-91. As recently as 2002 they were champions of the second division in Spain. They have won the Copa del Rey ten times and as recently as at the end of the 2012-13 season. However, in terms of trophies and wealth they are many kilometres behind Real Madrid who are seen as the state club and perceived as getting preferential treatment from the establishment. Initially Real’s fans were more well healed than those that supported Atletico. Politically Atletico were seen as Franco’s team but he changed allegiance when Real started to win the European Cup.

The rivalry between the two Madrid clubs is not as intense as the one between Real and Barcelona which is about politics and identity. However, Atletico are the poor relations and that is reflected in the location of the respective stadiums. The Santiago Bernabeu is in a prosperous part of the capital while Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium is in a poorer part of town. Matches sometimes create civil disturbances as the Atletico ultras see attacking the police as making a statement about their inferiority complex and position in the natural order in Madrid.

For some years the relative status of each club was reflected on the pitch. In February 2015 Real lost for the first time for 14 years in El Derbi madrilène away from home. Atletico’s first win over its city rivals since 1999 came in the Copa Del Rey in 2013. Atletico led from the first half until injury time at the end of the match in the Champions League final two years ago. Going back much further a historic match for Atletico was in 1965 when they became the first team to beat Real at the Bernabeu for eight years. Results have been more even over the last couple of years.

In fact Atletico are unbeaten in the last six league meetings with Real. They have won four and drawn two of those Madrid La Liga derbies, scoring 11 goals and conceding just four. However, Real won the most important recent meeting in the final of the 2013-14 Champions League but Atletico came agonisingly close to lifting the big eared Cup. Real Madrid have won 23 of the last 40 matches against Atletico in all competitions but there have been 10 draws. Real average 1.8 goals in these matches and Atletico have scored at an average rate of one goal per game.

In the recently completed season in Spain Real finished one place and two points ahead of their opponents in Saturday’s final. However, Real’s goal difference was a huge 41 goals better than their rivals. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 35 league goals while Atletico’s top marksman, Antoine Griezmann, found the net 22 times. Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale scored 24 and 19 league goals respectively while no other Atletico player scored more than 12 goals. History, scoring records and league positions suggest a win for Real but Atletico can become the Champions League top dogs in Madrid this time with Griezmann and or Fernando Torres scoring the crucial goals.

Best Wishes,

BetFan