With their 5-1 victory on aggregate over Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid once again showcased their credentials at the very highest level.
Following this memorable win, the Merengues are now set to return to La Liga action with another big match, as they face their cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid. The Colchoneros themselves made their way to the quarter-finals of the UCL by beating Tottenham 7-5 on aggregate, even though they lost the second leg 3-2 in England.
As a result, both these teams are coming into this game with their morale quite high, especially as Kylian Mbappe, who played some minutes in the second half against City, is expected to be back in the starting lineup for this game.
However, the Merengues would be affected by the absence of one of the main leaders of their team, i.e., the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is out for the upcoming six matches due to a muscle tear.
Meanwhile, other players like Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, Dani Ceballos, Ferland Mendy, and Raul Asensio also remain absent because of their injuries. Jude Bellingham was named in the squad for the last game against City, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to get some time on the pitch for this upcoming match.
On the other hand, Diego Simeone would be also without his star goalkeeper, as Jan Oblak is also injured. Other players like Rodrigo Mendoza and Pablo Barrios join him on the injury list, while Marc Pubill and Matteo Ruggeri are also doubts.
Still, both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have enough talent in their ranks to put on a show for the spectators in this match. Hopefully, Alvaro Arbeloa would be able to take advantage of the good form of his side to get a much-valued win in this Madrid derby, and remain competitive in the title race with Barcelona.
