Ancelotti's men out to end derby hooodoo

PRIMERA DIVISIÓN

• February 7, 2015
 
• • 18:00
 
• • Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid

• Referee: David Fernandez Borbalan

ATLÉTICO MADRID

-

V

-

 

REAL MADRID

NextPrevious

Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid Preview: Ancelotti's men out to end derby hoodoo

Getty Images

By James Willoughby

0

Feb 6, 2015 11:50:00

Diego Simeone's side are unbeaten in the previous five clashes between the capital clubs this season, following last year's defeat in the Champions League final

Atletico Madrid host Primera Division leaders Real Madrid on Saturday, aiming to extend their five-match unbeaten run against their neighbours this season.

Atletico's record against their bitter rivals has been an excellent response to their defeat by Madrid in last season's Champions League final.

Los Blancos won 4-1 after extra time on that occasion but Atletico exacted a very minor form of revenge with a Supercopa success - which came after a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu and a 1-0 win at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

A league meeting followed in September, with goals from Tiago and Arda Turan giving Atletico a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu, and Diego Simeone's men were responsible for knocking Carlo Ancelotti's side out of the Copa del Rey's last 16 in January, winning 2-0 at home before a 2-2 draw in the return leg.

It all points to another mouth-watering encounter between the two sides.

Cristiano Ronaldo, scorer of 28 league goals this season, will return from suspension for the visitors, who lead the league by four points and are seven clear of third-placed Atleti.

They will be without James Rodriguez, though, after he fractured a metatarsal in Wednesday's 2-1 triumph over Sevilla in Madrid. Luka Modric (thigh) will also miss out.

James scored in the win, as did Jese Rodriguez, but the absence of the Colombian star is a significant blow in a clash against fresher opponents - Atleti did not play in midweek.

As always, there is no shortage of motivation for both sides but Atletico defender Diego Godin says that his team's excellent recent record against Ancelotti's men counts for nothing.

"We want to win - we always want to win. Even more against Real Madrid," he told reporters. "It's a different match and just because we won the previous matches doesn't mean we'll win this one.

"We must plan it well, follow the path we're on and that's what's going to bring us closer to the result we want. It's an important match against a direct rival, because of what's at stake in the league.

"Playing at the Calderon, with our people, we aspire to win."

Fernando Torres scored both goals in the 2-2 second-leg Copa draw and could be restored to the starting line-up after being an unused substitute in Atletico's 3-1 win at Eibar on Saturday.

Mario Mandzukic bagged a double on that occasion, while Antoine Griezmann netted a seventh-minute opener. Captain Gabi missed the match through suspension, which has now been served.

LAST FIVE MATCHES

Atlético Madrid

• W
• L
• W
• L
• W

• 1/31/15
  EIB

  1 - 3

  ATM
• 1/28/15
  ATM

  2 - 3

  FCB
• 1/24/15
  ATM

  3 - 1

  RAY
• 1/22/15
  FCB

  1 - 0

  ATM
• 1/18/15
  ATM

  2 - 0

  GRA

Real Madrid

• W
• W
• W
• W
• D

• 2/4/15
  RMA

  2 - 1

  SEV
• 1/31/15
  RMA

  4 - 1

  RSO
• 1/24/15
  COR

  1 - 2

  RMA
• 1/18/15
  GET

  0 - 3

  RMA
• 1/15/15
  RMA

  2 - 2

  ATM

HEAD TO HEAD

Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid

Wins

3

2

0

Wins

• 1/15/15
  Real Madrid
  2 - 2
  Atlético Madrid
• 1/7/15
  Atlético Madrid
  2 - 0
  Real Madrid
• 9/13/14
  Real Madrid
  1 - 2
  Atlético Madrid
• 8/22/14
  Atlético Madrid
  1 - 0
  Real Madrid
• 8/20/14
  Real Madrid
  1 - 1
  Atlético Madrid

BETTING & PREDICTIONS

Match Predictions

ATM

 0 1 2 3 4 

0

 0 1 2 3 4 

0

RMA

PREDICT

Reader's Predictions

ATM

Draw

RMA

38%

50%

Top 3 Predictions

ATM

1 - 2

RMA

ATM

2 - 1

RMA

ATM

1 - 3

RMA

Updated: February 7, 2015,

ESPN.com news services

Adam Silver open to playoff changes

• 10K
• 528
• COMMENTS599
• EMAIL
• PRINT

New NBA Playoff Format?

ESPN NBA analysts Bruce Bowen and Tom Penn weigh in on commissioner Adam Silver's comments about being open to changing the NBA playoff structure.

Tags: NBA

NEXT VIDEO 

• NBA Playoffs: Thunder In Or Out?

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he's open to revamping the current playoff structure by eliminating conference seeding and instead going with the league's 16 best teams.

Silver, who appeared on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area during Wednesday night's Mavericks-Warriors game, elaborated on an issue that he also had brought up during an interview in December with ESPN's Andy Katz for "Outside the Lines."

"Ultimately, we want to see your best teams in the playoffs," Silver said during Wednesday's game. "And there is an imbalance and a certain unfairness."

“

Ultimately we want to see your best teams in the playoffs. And there (currently) is an imbalance and a certain unfairness. ... A lot of owners have strong feelings on it, but I think it is an area where we need to make a change.

”- Adam Silver, NBA commissioner

The Western Conference has had a decided edge over the Eastern Conference for quite some time, especially this season, with it having 10 of the league's best 16 records.

Silver said he'd be willing to talk to the league's competition committee about a plan in which the six division winners would receive automatic berths and the remaining 10 playoff positions would be determined by overall record, regardless of conference affiliation.

"I think that's the kind of proposal we need to look at. There are travel issues, of course, but in this day and age every team, of course, has their own plane, travels charter," Silver said. "... It's something I'm going to look at closely with the competition committee. A lot of owners have strong feelings on it, but I think it is an area where we need to make a change."

Silver said he'd need input from the league's owners before proceeding with any such changes.

Under the proposal, teams such as Charlotte (22-27) and Miami (21-28), which currently rank in the playoff-eligible top eight in the Eastern Conference, would be supplanted by New Orleans (26-23) and Oklahoma City (25-24) in the West in a changed qualifying structure.

"I don't think the discussion should end there," Silver said of potential changes. "And as I've said, my first year I was studying a lot of these issues, and Year 2 is time to take action."

In the December interview with Katz, Silver also said the league is "looking at" conference realignment amid concerns that the current structure of two geographically based conferences might not be the best way to determine an NBA champion anymore.

"Realignment," Silver said, "is something we're looking at.