THE Madrid derby takes centre stage in the round of 16 of the Champions League, with Atletico Madrid in a commanding position to try to finally get the best of rival, Real Madrid, in the European competition.
Madrid, the record 15-time European champion, has been a thorn for Atletico in the Champions League over the years, beating the city rival in two finals and eliminating it from the competition the other two times they faced off in the knockout rounds.
But this Atletico arrives for Tuesday’s first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium playing some of its best soccer since coach Diego Simeone took over more than a decade ago, and showing the confidence that it can take on the longtime rival head-on.
The round of 16 will begin this week to cap the inaugural season of a new Champions League format that featured a league phase and a playoff round.
The other last-16 matchups will include the local rivalry of German clubs Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool going against each other.
Atletico Madrid enters the match against Madrid in good form and enjoying one of its best seasons under Simeone. The team is ahead of its rival in the Spanish league standings, and is only one point behind leader Barcelona.
Atletico hasn’t lost any of its matches this season against either Madrid or Barcelona. In the Spanish league, it beat the Catalan club 2-1 in Barcelona and drew 1-1 in both games it played against Madrid. Atletico hasn’t lost to Madrid in four consecutive matches, having eliminated the city rival in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey last season.
“When you choose to be a coach, you want to face the strongest opponents, and to compete in every competition with the intention of winning,” Simeone said ahead of the matchup against Madrid.
Simeone’s team finished fifth in the league phase of the Champions League, while Madrid was only 11th and had to play extra playoff games against Manchester City.
The last time Atletico faced Madrid in the Champions League, they were eliminated in the semifinals in 2017. It also lost to Madrid in the final both in 2014 and 2016, and in the 2015 quarterfinals.
Overall, Atletico has won only three of its 10 meetings against Madrid in UEFA competitions, with five losses and two draws.
Madrid is coming off a loss at Real Betis in the Spanish league, while Atletico won 1-0 against Athletic Bilbao. —AP
