(Football News) The Madrid Derby is much more than a football match. It’s not just about the battle for three points; it’s about securing victory for the two passionate fanbases that exist in the Spanish capital. And few men know this better than coaches Diego ‘Cholo’ Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti.
The two know each other perfectly, and taking into account the Italian coach’s two spells at Real Madrid, they’ve met on eight different occasions in LALIGA EA SPORTS. The balance is in favour of the Argentine. With El Cholo at the helm, Atleti have managed to win four of the eight Madrid Derbies against the Italian.
The first Madrid Derby between Simeone and Ancelotti
The first time these two iconic coaches faced each other in LALIGA EA SPORTS was in the 2013/14 season. It was Ancelotti’s first season as Real Madrid coach, and perhaps the Argentine’s experience in this type of derby played a key role. Atlético de Madrid shocked the Santiago Bernabéu crowd, earning a 1-0 win with a fine 11th minute goal from Diego Costa.
That same season, which Atleti ended as champions, the return derby at the old Estadio Vicente Calderón ended in a 2-2 draw. Karim Benzema opened the scoring three minutes before Koke equalised with a fine cross-shot. Just before half time, Los Rojiblancos turned the game around with a shot from almost midfield by Gabi. Cristiano Ronaldo then equalised in the 82nd minute.
That draw helped Simeone’s team to win the 2013/14 championship. However, Ancelotti was able to guide Real Madrid to Champions League glory in 2013/14, defeating Atleti in Lisbon in the final. This meant that both coaches finished that campaign lifting a long-sought-after trophy.
The following season, Simeone managed to win both Madrid Derbies. Atleti walked away from the Santiago Bernabéu with a 2-1 win, before storming to a historic 4-0 win in an unforgettable encounter at the Vicente Calderón.
Better results for Ancelotti since his return
Having failed to get one over Simeone in his first stint in LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ancelotti secured his first Madrid Derby league win in the 2021/22 season. Goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio earned Real Madrid a 2-0 victory at the start of that campaign, in which Los Blancos won the championship. In the second meeting, towards the end of that season, Atleti earned some revenge against the champions by winning 1-0 at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano courtesy of a Yannick Carrasco penalty.
Then, in 2022/23, the two old foes met three times, with Real Madrid triumphing twice in addition to one draw. The first fixture was in LALIGA EA SPORTS at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, when Rodrygo and Fede Valverde goals fired Los Blancos towards a 2-1 victory. Then, they also met in last season’s Copa del Rey, when Real Madrid won their quarter-final match 3-1 after extra time at the Santiago Bernabéu. Later in that season, when Atlético de Madrid returned to the Bernabéu, the two sides played out a dramatic 1-1 draw, with both goals scored in the final 15 minutes. More excitement is expected this Sunday when two of the best coaches in the world face off.
