Real - Atletico: When the derby decides the dynasty

Will Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane work at Madrid next season? The answer depends a lot on the outcome of today's La Liga clash (April 8).

The Vicente Calderon stadium fell silent for a moment and Diego Simeone didn’t like it. It was Tuesday evening, Atletico leading Sociedad 1-0 and the game was winding down. But there was no reason to relax. From the pitch, Simeone threw his arms up again, hoping the home fans would put down their sandwiches and water bottles and continue shouting.

“What’s wrong with you guys?” he roared. “Sleepy? Cheer, cheer. Are you Real Madrid fans?”

Atletico fans were awakened, and they immediately roared. Filipe Luis admitted after the match that he was a little... startled at that moment. Simeone's roar hurt the fans, and they reacted, exactly the way the Argentine coach wanted.

Simeone arrived and reversed the flow of the Madrid derby, with more joy for Atletico.

Atletico's history is written by themselves, and by their rich neighbors. Being born an Atletico fan, hating Real became a command. In 2003, when celebrating the 100th anniversary of the club, Atletico fans wore T-shirts with the words "Sacred Fans" on their chest. Atletico fans always tell their children: They are the real fans, and cheering for the rich and successful team... anyone can do it!

There was a time when Atletico bowed out in the derby, for 10 years. There was a time when qualifying for the European Cup was a struggle. But Atletico fans were always proud of their loyalty. In 2000, when the team was relegated for the first time in its history, season ticket sales increased by 1.5 times compared to the previous year. They were proud of their continued love for the team even when it was losing, in stark contrast to the "victory culture" on the other side of the city.

If Atletico fans are mostly workers, working class, Real fans are white collar, people who go by car and enter the stadium to watch football as politely as going to the opera. Bernabeu is one of the quietest stadiums in Europe. Except for the ultra group, the rest maintain the culture of "walking softly, speaking softly, smiling gracefully" in society. They only roar in two situations: when their team is losing (they curse) and during El Clasico.

Torres soon became a leader at Atletico because he overcame the temptation from Real to come to the real football of the team at Calderon. Photo: AFP.

Winning for Atletico is the goal, for Real it is a must. That's why Fernando Torres is so loved. "El Nino" was captain of Atletico in his twenties because he bravely rejected Real Madrid's offer to sign him. He said that entering the Bernabeu was like going to the cinema, watching a 90-minute movie, then everyone went home without saying a word to each other. Torres said Real fans didn't feel real football.

Real Madrid usually do not respond to such statements. Former President Ramon Calderon called it "propaganda". And Real Madrid accept losing that propaganda war, as long as they always win the real war on the pitch.

But Simeone's arrival has given the derby a new lease of life. Once one of the most boring derbies in the world, the Madrid derby is now one of the most worth-watching. Madridistas probably still haven't forgotten: Rafael Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti were both sacked for losing Madrid derbies. In his two years at Real, Ancelotti was not afraid of any coach, except Simeone.

And before that? Jose Mourinho was sacked after losing to Atletico in the Copa del Rey at the Bernabeu. It was the first time in 14 years and 25 derby games without a win that Atletico had beaten their arch-rivals. Fans have every right to hypothesize: if they had not lost to Atletico, the fates of Mourinho, Ancelotti and Benitez might have been different.

But Simeone only lifted half the curse. In Europe, Atletico reached the Champions League final twice and lost both times to Real. The ghosts of Milan and Lisbon - once lost in extra time and once on penalties - will haunt Atletico forever. After last year's defeat, Simeone disappeared for weeks, forcing Atletico's two top executives to travel to Argentina for "ideological work". It took Atletico longer to digest the derby defeat than any other match.

Ramos scored twice against Atletico in the Champions League final

Simeone has clearly brought a new level of tactical and emotional depth to the derby, something that has never been seen before. Today will be another tense match, one that will decide the fate of both teams for the rest of the season. Atletico have lost all hope of catching up, but they need to hold on to third place to go straight into the Champions League group stage against the threat of Sevilla. Real can feel Barca breathing down their necks. If they miss a step, they will be overtaken.

Before the match, Antoine Griezmann had the opportunity to meet Vin Diesel and Charlize Theron during the promotion of the movie "Fast & Furious 8". There, he said: "I feel confident, Atletico will be the favorite team".

Griezmann is not "blowing wind". Because if in the Champions League, Atletico receives another wound every time they meet Real, then on the domestic front, the situation is very different. In the last three away matches at the Bernabeu, Atletico won: 1-0, 2-1 and 1-0. Under Simeone, they win at the Bernabeu more than they lose.

Atletico and Real are both hungry for victory in today's derby, not only for their immediate goal of competing in La Liga, but also for their own plans for next season.

Atletico have struggled this season, but are suddenly reviving. The closer they get to the derby, the better they play. When they arrived at the Bernabeu today, they had five consecutive wins, having surpassed Sevilla to climb to third place. Suddenly Atletico is Atletico, defending as solid as a rock and switching to counter-attacks as fast as lightning. The old guard Gabi, Diego Godin, Filipe Luis and even Juanfran are all becoming the fulcrum for the young players above them to develop their creativity. Yannick Carrasco played very impressively on the right wing, Griezmann played more and more, making Man Utd crave him, and above him is Torres.

Just like two years ago, Real saw Atletico blocking their way to the finish line. That day, Real were thrashed 4-0 by Atletico, followed by a collapse under Ancelotti. The magical midfield quartet fell apart and Ancelotti was sacked at the end of the season. Simeone called it one of the proudest moments of his career.

Atletico beat Real 4-0 in 2015

Now on the coaching bench is Zinedine Zidane, an unpredictable coach because people have not seen any... tricks from the French coach. In the most recent victory against Leganes, Zidane played big and kept the BBC trio out of the team, not using them for a single minute. Rotation is the specialty of the French coach. All the players, except the goalkeeper and professional reserve Fabio Coentrao, have scored. No one is irreplaceable. And because of such constant rotation, the opposing coach is helpless and cannot be predicted.

Many times, Real Madrid... have no cards to beat their opponents. And at those times, goals come from set pieces. With the German "ball machine" Toni Kroos, and the Portuguese "penalty machine" Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid have scored more goals from set pieces than any other team in Europe this season. Whenever it comes to a big match, Sergio Ramos will always appear.

Ramos will be a menace for Atletico today, as he has haunted them in the last two Champions League finals the two teams have played in.

"If Isco plays, Real will have better possession than Casemiro," Simeone surprisingly said before the match. To shake Zidane's mind? Maybe. Want Casemiro not to play so Atletico can breathe easier on the counter-attack? Maybe too. But Zidane is likely to stick with the team that won the Champions League in Milan. If so, will it be Simeone's turn to be shaken?

Simeone will just wave his arms and legs, making the most of his psychological warfare skills. Zidane will be as cold as ice, playing the role of the "quiet Frenchman" before and during the match. One is hot - the other is cold, but both know that this match will have a decisive meaning for the success or failure of the season and, more importantly, for the dynasty they are trying so hard to build.

According to VNE