Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will renew their rivalry on Sunday when they meet in a highly anticipated Madrid derby at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico have made a solid start to the La Liga campaign, collecting four wins, one draw and one defeat from their opening six matches. Their 13 points leave them fourth in the table, while Real Madrid sit second with 15 points, three behind leaders Barcelona.
Softfootball noticed that Atletico have recovered strongly after a difficult start to September. The Red and Whites suffered a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao and a 2-1 Champions League loss to Liverpool at Anfield before responding with convincing victories over Real Sociedad and Osasuna.
Real Madrid have also responded well to their only league defeat of the season. After losing 1-0 to Real Betis, Jose Mourinho’s side defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League before beating Rayo Vallecano 4-1 and Elche 3-2 in La Liga.
The latest victory over Rayo Vallecano saw Mbappé fire Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory after the Betis shock, while the French forward will once again lead the attack against Atletico.
Atletico won 5-2 when the sides last met at the Metropolitano last season, although Real Madrid claimed a 3-2 victory in the most recent meeting in March.
Team News
Atletico will make late checks on Julian Alvarez, Pablo Barrios and Alexander Sorloth, who are all dealing with muscular problems. Alvarez has missed the club’s last two matches and is unlikely to start even if he makes the squad.
Jonathan David is expected to continue in attack after scoring against Osasuna, while Lee Kang-in and Alex Baena are also in contention for starting roles.
Real Madrid remain without Eder Militao, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy. Denzel Dumfries is expected to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, while Jude Bellingham is set to return to the starting XI.
Vinicius Junior is also expected to feature alongside Kylian Mbappe, despite scoring only once for the club so far this season.
Possible Lineups
Atletico Madrid:
Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Le Normand, Grimaldo; Lee, Koke, Cardoso, Baena; David, Lookman.
Real Madrid:
Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe.
Prediction
This promises to be another closely fought Madrid derby, with Atletico carrying confidence from their recent victories and Real Madrid looking to maintain pressure on Barcelona at the top of the table.
Real Madrid have the attacking quality to cause problems, particularly with Mbappe leading the line, but Atletico’s home advantage could make this a difficult contest.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid
How to Watch
The Madrid derby will be played on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 3:15 PM WAT at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
| Region | TV Channel / Platform | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | GOtv, StarTimes, DAZN | 3:15 PM WAT |
| United States | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, Fubo | 10:15 AM ET |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player | 4:15 PM BST |
| Spain | LaLiga broadcasters | 4:15 PM local time |
The derby comes with both teams looking to maintain their strong league positions, while Real Madrid will hope Mbappe can continue his recent scoring form after helping the club respond to their shock defeat to Real Betis.
