Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid: 5 key battles | La Liga 2021-22
Real Madrid will host their arch-rivals Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Sunday. The hosts are on a nine-game winning streak across competitions. They are the favourites to win the 228th Madrid derby.
Los Blancos head into this game on a high, having overcome Inter Milan in their midweek Champions League fixture. Goals from Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio ensured a clinical 2-0 win for the record champions.
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Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, who have one of the best defences in the Spanish top flight, have not looked rock-solid at the back this season. They only have the fifth-best defensive record in La Liga after falling to a 2-1 loss at home to lowly Mallorca in their previous outing.
The Merengues, like Madrid, are also through to the Round of 16 in the Champions League. They confirmed their place in the knockouts with a 3-1 win at Porto on the sixth matchday.
Coming back to the Madrid derby, Real Madrid have the better record, and are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Los Colchoneros. Atletico Madrid last league win at the home of Real Madrid was in 2016.
Nevertheless, the Madrid derby is usually an enticing affair, which should also be the case on Sunday. On that note, here's a look at five key battles that might determine the outcome of the game:
#5 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) vs Koke (Atletico Madrid)
Toni Kroos scored just his third goal across competitions this season against Inter Milan on matchday six.
However, as is usually the case, it was a world-class strike from the edge of the box, and it was a landmark one too. That was Real Madrid's 1000th goal in the European Cup/Champions League, making them the first team to reach the milestone.
1,000 - Toni Kroos has scored Real Madrid's 1,000th European Cup/Champions League goal, making them the first club to reach that landmark total (excl. qualifiers). Grand.
The German pass-master has had an impressive 95.1% pass success rate in the league for Real Madrid this season. He has averaged more passes than any other Real Madrid player in both La Liga and Champions League, averaging roughly 76 passes per 90 across both competitions.
Stopping Kroos from dictating the run of play will be crucial for Atletico Madrid. They will look to do that by counting on captain Koke to step up to the task. While the Spaniard hasn't been at his best thus far, his tackling ability and presence in the middle of the park could be key in keeping Kroos quiet.
#4 Casemiro (Real Madrid) vs Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)
The Real Madrid midfield trio of Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric have been at the heart of many a memorable win over the years. It is their consistency this term that has helped them have a great outing this season.
Casemiro has been at his best as usual, averaging three tackles per 90 in La Liga. He also has three assists to his name, and has won 1.9 aerial duels per game. His commanding presence provides an effective shield to his back four.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have lacked creativity in the middle of the park, but Thomas Lemar has shown promise in recent outings. He has three goals and two assists in La Liga, and has registered 1.7 key passes per game. The Atletico Madrid man's quick feet, dribbling skills and pace might help him create chances against Real Madrid.