(Football news) Atletico Madrid is now in seventh place in the La Liga standings with seven points from their first four games, while Los Blancos are currently in first place with 15 points after five games. Even at this early stage of the season, finishing seventh in Spain’s top division is not exactly what Atletico would have wanted, but they do have a game in hand over 18 of the other 19 teams in the division because their match against Sevilla, which was originally scheduled for earlier this month, had to be postponed due to inclement weather.
After defeating Granada 3-1 to start the season, Diego Simeone’s team drew Real Betis in their next game. At the end of August, they defeated Rayo Vallecano 7-0, but last weekend, they were defeated 3-0 by Valencia in the league.
Tuesday night’s Champions League group-stage match between Atletico and Lazio was incredibly close to ending in a victory for the visitors after Pablo Barrios’ first-half goal had given them the lead late in stoppage time. However, the home team’s custodian Ivan Provedel produced a fantastic equaliser to pull them level.
If the Red and Whites lose on Sunday, they would fall 11 points behind Real Madrid in the standings, which might put an end to their title chances before the season has even started.
Even though Atletico lost to their opponents 2-1 in the same game previous season, they did record their only league victory in the Madrid derby since February 2016 at home, a 1-0 triumph at Wanda Metropolitano in the 2021–22 season.
In all competitions, Real Madrid has won six straight games, including their first five La Liga games of the 2023–24 season. This season, Real Madrid hasn’t skipped a beat.
The team of Carlo Ancelotti has won over Athletic Bilbao, Almeria, Celta Vigo, Getafe, and Real Sociedad thus far in the Spanish top division. On Wednesday night, they began their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 1-0 success over Union Berlin.
With his last-second goal, Jude Bellingham gave Los Blancos all three points. The England international has now scored six goals in as many games for the club, and has had an outstanding debut season.
Real Madrid would be well-positioned to advance if they were to win this game, as it would set them up perfectly for their upcoming league matches against Las Palmas and Girona. After that, there is just the minor matter of a trip to Italy to face Napoli in the Champions League.
Early in the season, the capital giants have not exactly played at their fluid best, but they have impressively handled the injuries to some important players, and they have demonstrated their character by winning each of their last four games by the odd goal.
Real Madrid form in La Liga
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Atletico Madrid form in La Liga
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