Real Madrid - Atletico Madrid: Will the wind change direction?

(Baonghean.vn) - The upcoming first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu is the third time that coach Diego Simeone and his students will face their city rivals, Real Madrid, this season. The results of the previous two matches showed that the advantage was on the side of the white team with 1 win and 1 draw. Will the "wind change direction" in the third clash?

Both are typical representatives of Madrid, but throughout history, Atletico has always had to hide behind its powerful neighbor in all aspects. Everything only changed when coach Diego Simeone sat in the hot seat at Vicente Calderon. The team wearing red and white stripes was no longer afraid or weak when facing Real. Even in the period of 2013 - 2015, in the domestic arena (La Liga and King's Cup), Atletico dominated in derby matches. Coaches Mourinho, Ancelotti, Benitez were all "overshadowed" by Diego Simeone.

Ramos' goal in the 2015/2016 Champions League final between Real and Atletico. Photo: Internet.

On January 4, 2016, Zinedine Zidane was officially appointed as Real's head coach. The presence of the French strategist helped Los Blancos regain their inherent position in the internal matches of Madrid.

According to statistics, under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, the royal team has won 2 victories and 2 draws after 4 matches with Atletico. 1 of the 2 victories that Zinedine Zidane won against Diego Simeone was in the Champions League final last season. The remaining victory was in the first leg of La Liga in November 2016 right at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

It can be seen that coach Zinedine Zidane is the "nemesis" of coach Diego Simeone, at least up to this point. It is likely that the dominance of the Real captain will continue to be shown in this clash.

In addition to the home advantage of Bernabeu, the French strategist also owns a squad that is considered the strongest and most comprehensive in Europe. The absence of Gareth Bale, Varane, and Pepe does not affect Real's strength too much because the backup options are equally good. Welcoming Atletico at the Bernabeu is a Real with a strong army.

On the contrary, coach Diego Simeone and his team traveled to the other side of the city with a seriously damaged squad.

Latest information shows that Atletico's right wing has been devastated by injuries to Juanfran and Vrsaljko. More worryingly, center-back Gimenez, who was assigned by coach Diego Simeone to play the role of "reluctant" right-back, suffered a thigh strain in the match against Las Palmas last weekend and will definitely not be able to play. Up front, Carrasco is also not in the best shape.

“Without flour, there is no glue”, it is difficult for coach Diego Simeone to successfully help Atletico achieve positive results at Bernabeu.

The exciting confrontation between Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane. Photo: Internet.

In addition to those losses, Atletico is also not highly rated in the Champions League arena in derby matches.

The numbers don't lie: in four meetings at Europe's most prestigious tournament, the Vicente Calderon team has not won a single match. Specifically, in the 2013/2014 Champions League final, the team led by coach Diego Simeone suffered a 1-4 defeat after 120 minutes of play. Nearly a year later, Atletico faced their hated neighbors in the quarter-finals, and had to leave the game with a total score of 0-1 after two matches.

Most recently, in the final match of last season, Griezmann and his teammates had to watch their opponents lift the trophy after losing in the penalty shootout. Clearly, in the Champions League arena, when placed next to Real, Atletico players no longer have the necessary sharpness and courage.

Therefore, in the first leg of the semi-final match taking place in the early morning of May 3 (Vietnam time), the red-and-white striped team will once again be "overwhelmed" by Real players. Most likely, the pressure from the Bernabeu stands, Real's star-studded squad and Zinedine Zidane's tactical skills on the coaching bench will make the visiting team Atletico suffocate. Defeat is an inevitable outcome for coach Diego Simeone and his team.

All factors are leaning towards the royal team. It seems that "the wind is hard to change direction" in the Madrid derby in the most prestigious tournament in Europe. Let's hope that luck will accompany Atletico in the confrontation with Real at Bernabeu./.

Thanh Hung