BOYLE Sports Blog | Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid Prediction, Betting…

Real Madrid put their 100 per cent start to the season on the line at the Metropolitano where they will face a stuttering Atletico side already nine points behind their arch-rivals in LaLiga.

Real have been efficient if unspectacular so far under new boss Xabi Alonso while Atletico, having undergone a major overhaul in the summer, have been surprisingly inconsistent and vulnerable for a Diego Simeone team.

But Atletico will hope to have turned a corner with their dramatic 3-2 home victory over Madrid neighbours Rayo Vallecano in midweek, and we think they could pick up something in their main derby showdown on Saturday too, so we’re going for both teams to score in a draw at 3/1.

16/5

● LIVE ODDS Both Teams To Score - Outcome Draw Both Teams To Score And Match Result

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid Head-to-Head Record

Real, unsurprisingly, have more often than not held the upper hand over their local rivals down the years, helped not least by a remarkable spell of dominance at the start of this century.

Since a 3-1 win in October 1999, Atletico had to wait well over a decade to beat the ‘Galacticos’ again, when Miranda’s extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory in the 2013 Copa del Rey final at the Bernabeu.

That was a run of 26 games without an Atletico derby triumph, with Real’s star-studded squads winning 19 of them, but recent years have seen a much more even split of success between the two capital clubs.

Atletico are unbeaten in their last four home games against Real, winning three, including a 1-0 victory in the most recent derby encounter when Conor Gallagher’s first-minute goal earned the Rojiblancos a 1-0 triumph in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in May.

Gallagher’s strike sent the tie to penalties, Real having won the first leg 2-1, and it was the 15-time European champions who emerged victorious 4-2 on spot-kicks.

Prior to those two hard-fought European games, the previous three derbies finished 1-1 and a similar outcome could be on the cards against this weekend, with odds of 11/2 for a 1-1 result.

6/1

● LIVE ODDS Draw 1-1 Correct Score

Atletico Madrid Form Guide

Atletico started the season at 8/1 to pip Barcelona and Real and win their first title since 2021 but they have since plummeted to 50/1 after a poor start to the campaign by their high standards.

They have only won twice in six games despite being handed a favourable-looking fixture list against the likes of Alaves, Elche, Espanyol and Real Mallorca, leaving them well adrift in the early title race. They also suffered a demoralising last-minute defeat to Liverpool in their opening Champions League game.

That 3-2 loss at Anfield highlighted a rather unwelcome habit Atletico seem to have picked up this season, which is looking susceptible to conceding at both the start and end of matches. Of the 10 goals they have let in so far, four have come in the first 15 minutes of games while three have been shipped in the last six minutes.

They did manage to flip that statistic on its head on Wednesday, though, as two late goals from Julian Alvarez snatched a 3-2 comeback win over Rayo, with the former Manchester City man completing his hat-trick in the process.

Alvarez also put Atletico ahead early on. That was the sixth time in their seven matches this season the Rojiblancos have taken the lead, but only the second time they have ended up winning - so Simeone knows there is work to do at both ends of the pitch.

The good news for Atletico is they do not look dependent on just one goalscorer, with seven different players having got on the scoresheet already this season, Alvarez now leading the way on four goals following his midweek blitz. Should you fancy Atletico to make it two Madrid derby wins in the week, they can be backed at 7/4 to beat Real. Alvarez, meanwhile, is 66/1 to repeat his hat-trick heroics.

15/8

● LIVE ODDS Julian Alvarez Anytime Goalscorer

Real Madrid Form Guide

Atletico’s form and lack of a consistently potent goalscorer so far this term is in stark contrast to rivals Real.

Despite still not hitting their peak, Real have won all seven matches this term under Alonso with Kylian Mbappe already netting nine goals in all competitions, and he can be backed at 7/2 to open the scoring in the derby.

The France star’s return of seven LaLiga goals has left him top of the scoring charts and he is on course to win a second Pichichi Trophy for the leading scorer in the division, having also claimed the honour last year after firing 31 goals in his debut campaign.

Real have not truly put any team to the sword yet this season, with their 3-0 win at promoted Real Oviedo in round two and Wednesday’s 4-1 victory at Levante being the only matches they have scored more than two goals in, but they have still found a way to win.

At the other end of the pitch, a new-look defence including summer signings Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and the currently-injured Trent Alexander-Arnold has only kept three clean sheets, so a low-scoring derby draw could to be on the cards, although if you think differently, BOYLE Sports is offering odds of 8/1 for a draw with over 2.5 goals in total.

Real could also be boosted by the return to fitness of Jude Bellingham, who made his first appearance of the season as a second-half substitute against Levante, and if you fancy the England star to score the only goal of the game you can get odds of 60/1.