Real Madrid hold a 2-1 lead over crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid heading into Wednesday night's all-important Champions League round of 16 second leg.
It was a night of stunning goals last Tuesday as Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz found the back of the net with pinpoint efforts in between Julian Alvarez's wicked equaliser.
Atleti seemed content with a single goal deficit in the dying embers of the first leg, although Madrid spurned a gilt-edge opportunity to score a third at the last when Kylian Mbappe broke in behind but failed to find the feet of Vinicius Junior with a rather simple-looking cross. Will that moment come back to bite the holders?
Carlo Ancelotti's side have a knack in this competition, and they've had a hold over Atleti on the continental stage. Diego Simeone's Rojiblancos were beaten by Madrid in two Champions League finals during the 2010s.
The hosts will fancy themselves to make a little bit of history on Wednesday, but they enter the contest off the back of a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat at Getafe which saw their La Liga title hopes take a considerable hit. Madrid, meanwhile, beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 to close the gap on Barcelona.
Here is 90min's guide to this crunch second leg.
What time does Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid kick-off?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio Metropolitano
- Date: Wednesday 12 March
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)
- VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid head-to-head record (last five games)
- Atletico Madrid: 1 win
- Real Madrid: 1 win
- Draws: 3
Current form (all competitions)
Atletico Madrid | Real Madrid |
|---|---|
Getafe 2-1 Atletico Madrid - 09/03/25 | Real Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano - 09/03/25 |
Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid - 04/03/25 | Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid - 04/03/25 |
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club - 01/03/25 | Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid - 01/03/25 |
Barcelona 4-4 Atletico Madrid - 25/02/25 | Real Sociedad 0-1 Real Madrid - 26/02/25 |
Valencia 0-3 Atletico Madrid - 22/02/25 | Real Madrid 2-0 Girona - 23/02/25 |
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid on TV - UK & US
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 3 |
United States | Paramount+, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, ViX, TUDN USA, UniMs |
Canada | DAZN Canada |
Atletico Madrid team news
Cesar Azpilicueta returned to the matchday squad at the weekend, but the former Chelsea captain is unlikely to play a part on Wednesday. Clement Lenglet is also a doubt, while veteran midfielder Koke is set to miss out again.
Atleti are bound to set up in a similar fashion from the Bernabeu, with Samuel Lino preferred to Conor Gallagher down the left. Julian Alvarez will work in tandem with Antoine Griezmann, but Lenglet's status could force Robin Le Normand into the team.
Atletico Madrid predicted lineup vs Real Madrid
Atletico predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann.
Real Madrid team news
Ancelotti was able to offer rests to the likes of Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, and Eduardo Camavinga at the weekend, but Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius both started and scored in Madrid's 2-1 win.
Jude Bellingham is available after missing the first leg through suspension, and the Englishman is expected to be fine despite taking a knock on Sunday. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is also expected back from a minor knee issue.
Dani Ceballos could return sooner than expected from a hamstring injury, but he won't play again until after the international break. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are long-term absentees.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Atletico (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Rudiger, Asencio, Mendy; Tchouameni, Camavinga; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid score prediction
It feels like last week's high-quality affair was a mere teaser for what's about to unfold at the Metropolitano. This may not be a pretty contest, but the stakes are enormous at this relatively early stage of the knockout phase.
Atleti will feel as if the tie's in the balance, and they've made Madrid suffer at times on their home patch in recent times.
This is bound to be a slog-fest, and the hosts may well enjoy the better of the game despite what we typically associate from Simeone-led sides on the big occasion. However, there's something about Ancelotti and his Madrid team in this competition. This screams of a contest which they escape from by the barest of margins.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid
READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE
feed
