Believe it or not, we have an international break this 2022-23 football season, and it starts Monday. Yes, in this season of extreme fixture pile up, there is somehow a set of internationals before the World Cup, and the last big match before that international period is the capital derby! Atletico head into Sunday’s super showdown five points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid in what is sure to be a spirited match.
Let’s take a look at the team news for Los Blancos heading into this one.
Madrid Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 18, 1230pm Estadio Metropolitano
Team News: Real Madrid Atlético Madrid
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Atlético Madrid
After Extra Time Pod: Spotify Apple
Form Guide: Real Madrid WWWWW Atlético Madrid WDWLD
La Liga Standing: Real Madrid 1st, 15 pts Atlético Madrid 10 pts, 7th
Google Result Probability Atlético Madrid 42% Draw 28% Atlético Madrid 30%
Real Madrid Team News
The biggest club in the world, or at least they like to think they are, will be without their talisman in this one. Scoring sensation Karim Benzema is still out with a knee injury, and it won’t be until October that the forward will be back in contention. Another player sidelined for the derby is Lucas Vazquez, who remains on the shelf.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to adjust accordingly, in what is one of the biggest annual fixtures on the calendar. Another major storyline here is the goal celebration dancing of Vinicius Junior.
Atleti captain Koke had something to say about that, and we’ll cover that in another article shortly.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.