Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid La Liga Matchday 22 Odds & Pick
- Zidane’s in-form side back on top of the table
- Major up-swing in league wins since turn of the year
- Simeone’s team is struggling and hit by injuries
Real Madrid are back on top of La Liga as they head into a big derby weekend at home against their rivals in the Spanish capital Atletico Madrid.
Real are enjoying a run of three straight league wins while fellow title contenders Barcelona slumped to a shock defeat against Valencia last weekend – handing top spot to Zinedine Zidane’s team.
The oddsmakers make Real favorites at -120 to beat an Atletico side currently struggling for form and hit by injuries.
The visitors are priced at +330 with the draw at +235 on February 1, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, 10:00 am EST.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid La Liga Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | -½ -120 | -120 | Ov2½ +115 |
| Atletico Madrid | +½ +100 | +330 | Un2½ -135 |
| Draw | N/A | +235 | N/A |
Odds taken Jan. 30
Slipped from Third to Fifth
Atletico have not won in two league matches and have slipped from third place to fifth in the table with observers in the city believing that the club is at its lowest ebb during the nine-year reign of coach Diego Simeone.
However, given that the form book can count for little in derbies and that the two sides have twice played out 0-0 results over 90 minutes this season, the draw could be good value.
Real underlined their current good mood with a 4 -0 win away against Second Division side Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Zidane is the manager with the lowest loss percentage in the HISTORY of Real Madrid [11.5%]. pic.twitter.com/GY7hzrHoKo
— Real Madrid Stats (@RMadrid_Stats) January 30, 2020
In the same competition, Atletico suffered a shock 2-1 defeat earlier this month against the little-known Cultural Leonasa who play in Segunda Division Group B – the third tier of the Spanish league system.
La Liga 2019-20 Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Statistics
| 13 | Wins | 9 |
| 1 | Losses | 3 |
| 7 | Draws | 8 |
| 39 | Goals | 22 |
| 13 | Goal Against | 14 |
| 11 | Clean Sheets | 10 |
| 42 | Yellow Cards | 48 |
| 4 | Red Cards | 2 |
It is likely that Simeone will be unable to call upon his club’s record signing Joao Felix who has a muscle injury in his right leg.
One commentator in Madrid noted: “The Spanish capital’s biggest derby hasn’t looked this lop-sided in years.
It is also likely that Simeone will be unable to call upon his club’s record signing Joao Felix who has a muscle injury in his right leg.
Atletico could also be without captain Jorge “Koke” Resureccion and striker Diego Costa.
The reverse Madrid derby at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium produced a goalless draw on September 28.
Super Cup Win in Saudi Arabia
The sides also met in the final of the mid-winter Spanish Super Cup in Saudia Arabia on January 12.
After a goalless stalemate, Real won a penalty shoot-out 4-1.
Joao Felix looks set to miss Saturday's Madrid derby after Atletico confirmed a muscle injury pic.twitter.com/JEYnPzomSd
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 29, 2020
Real are hunting their first La Liga title since 2016-17 and are currently unbeaten in 12 league fixtures.
That run of results has put them back on top of the table for the first time since early October.
Zidane’s team has shown a rewarding up-turn in form since the turn of the year following a troubling run of three straight league draws in the latter half of December.
The leading league goalscorer is Frenchman Karim Benzema. He has not found the target in his last five league appearances although he ended a six-game drought by scoring in the cup tie against Zaragoza.
Zidane’s team has shown a rewarding up-turn in form since the turn of the year following a troubling run of three straight league draws in the latter half of December.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8lULvJLsD4
They have achieved this while missing star signing Eden Hazard since mid-November with a foot injury. In his absence, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have kept the team ticking while Ferland Mendy has added more defensive rigor.
Things really picked up with a 3-0 win away at Getafe on January 4.
That was followed by a 2-1 win at home against Sevilla and a 1-0 win away at Real Valladolid last weekend.
Atletico Madrid have now scored just 22 goals in 21 league games 😩 pic.twitter.com/02pffUUOxO
— GOAL (@goal) January 26, 2020
Seven Straight Wins Across the Board
They are now enjoying a sequence of seven straight wins in all competitions and are undefeated in 20 games across the board including ties in the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
They currently lead second-placed Barcelona by three points with a record of 13 wins, seven draws and only one defeat producing a tally of 46 points.
The sole league setback for Real came when they lost 1-0 away at Real Mallorca on October 19.
Pick: Draw +235
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
