The first Madrid Derby of the 2025-26 La Liga season takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon, with Atletico Madrid hosting Real Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium (15:15 BST). 

Xabi Alonso’s Los Blancos have been relentless so far as they look to wrestle the title back from Barcelona, while Diego Simeone’s Atleti are searching for consistency after a stuttering start to the campaign.

Team form 

Atletico endured a frustrating opening day, losing 2-1 away at Espanyol, and while they’ve gone unbeaten since, they’ve struggled to string results together.

Stalemates with Elche, Deportivo Alavés, and Mallorca have offset two wins over Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano. Simeone’s side remain winless on their travels, though they are unbeaten at home, with two wins and a draw from three games at the Metropolitano, something they’ll cling to ahead of their fiercest rivals’ visit.

By contrast, Real Madrid are flying under Alonso. Six wins from six have set the tone for a serious title push, with 14 goals scored and only three conceded.

Their dominance has not been restricted to the Bernabéu either, with commanding away wins including a 3-0 triumph at Real Oviedo and a 4-1 dismantling of Levante in midweek. 

Madrid look sharp, disciplined and dangerous, making them a daunting prospect for their city neighbours.

Head-to-head

Despite Madrid’s perfect start, history suggests this fixture will be anything but straightforward. The last five La Liga derbies have produced four 1-1 draws, with Atletico edging the other in a 3-1 victory in the 2023-24 season.

In fact, since moving to their new home in 2017, Simeone’s men have only lost twice to Los Blancos in the league, winning twice themselves and drawing the other four. 

Atleti might not beat Madrid often, but Simeone’s knack for tactical pragmatism and defensive organisation has consistently frustrated their rivals over the years. Alonso will need to find a way to break that in his first derby as Madrid boss. 

Team news

Simeone is boosted by the return of Alexander Sorloth following his one-match suspension for a straight red card against Mallorca, with the striker likely to feature from the bench. 

However, he remains without José María Giménez, Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada, who are all sidelined for at least another week.

Madrid face defensive concerns going into the derby. Trent Alexander-Arnold has endured a nightmare start in Spain, and a hamstring injury now rules him out for up to eight weeks. 

Antonio Rudiger is unavailable until December after injuring his thigh in training earlier this month, leaving Alonso reliant on Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao at centre-back. Ferland Mendy also continues his recovery from a thigh injury sustained at the end of last season. 

Key stats

• Real Madrid are averaging 2.3 goals per game in La Liga this season.

• Atletico Madrid have averaged two cards per game so far this campaign.

• Kylian Mbappé has scored seven goals in six La Liga games.

• Vinícius Júnior has registered three goals and three assists in six outings.

• Julián Álvarez netted a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano, bringing his tally to four league goals.

Prediction

The Metropolitano has rarely been a happy hunting ground for Real Madrid in recent years, and Simeone’s Atleti know how to make these derbies scrappy and tight. 

But Alonso’s Los Blancos look a different beast this season, with Mbappé and Vinícius Jr in devastating form. If Madrid can unpick Atleti’s disciplined defensive block, they should leave with a crucial derby win.