Cristiano Ronaldo returns as in-form Real Madrid visit Atletico
Real Madrid head into the fourth Madrid derby of the season at Atletico on Sunday following their 6-1 thrashing of Schalke in the Champions League and buoyed by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
|Last Updated: Feb 28, 2014, 10:14 AM IST|Source: AFP
Madrid: Real Madrid head into the fourth Madrid derby of the season at Atletico on Sunday following their 6-1 thrashing of Schalke in the Champions League and buoyed by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
After losing 1-0 at home to Atletico in La Liga back in September, Real gained revenge over their local rivals with a comprehensive 5-0 aggregate win in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey earlier this month.
Carlo Ancelotti`s men have also usurped Atletico in the league in recent weeks.
Los Rojiblancos` shock defeats to Almeria and Osasuna have allowed Real to open up a three-point lead over both Atletico and Barcelona at the top of the table.
Real will be further boosted by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to league action after the Ballon d`Or winner missed his side`s last three domestic games for his red card and dissent shown in their 1-1 draw away to Athletic Bilbao on February 2.
The Portuguese captain returned in customary fashion, scoring twice as Real all but secured their place in the last eight of the Champions League with their demolition of Schalke, and he is looking to channel his frustration at the length of the ban to good effect this weekend.
"What`s done is done. I am frustrated about it because what I did wasn`t deserving of a three-game ban, but I am happy to return and score two goals," he said.
"We are motivated for the derby, we are Real Madrid and we will give everything to win."
Atletico, meanwhile, should be refreshed by a rare midweek off as they aim to put a run of four defeats in six games behind them.
Midfielder Koke recognised the task that faces his side at the Vicente Calderon, but insisted that even in Real`s current form no side is invincible.
"You always like to play against Madrid, above all if you can beat them. It is a derby, which is always a special game," he told the club`s website.
"No one is invincible in this world. Defensively they are very good and in attack they have important players with excellent individual skills. We are facing a great team and we will try to do everything as best we can. It will be a great game."
With one or both sides from the capital set to drop points, Barcelona can take advantage when they host Almeria at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
The Catalans were also blown away last weekend when they lost 3-1 at Real Sociedad to finish the weekend behind Real Madrid for the first time since 2012.
However, with Barca still to face Real at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 23, Cesc Fabregas believes his side are still capable of retaining their title.
"We are the first ones to know that we didn`t play well. We lacked mobility, intensity and precision, which are vital things in modern day football," the midfielder said.
"We have analysed it, we know where we failed and now we have to recover all that we lost there.
"It is in our own hands. I believe a lot in this squad and these players, as much for what they have done in the past as their present. We are ready to do something great this season."
Fabregas and Xavi are expected to be recalled to the side after they were controversially rested by coach Gerardo Martino against Sociedad.
Javier Mascherano will also return to the heart of the defence alongside Marc Bartra as Gerard Pique faces a brief spell on the sidelines due to a calf injury.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Athletic Bilbao v Granada (1930)
Saturday
Malaga v Valladolid (1500), Levante v Osasuna (1700), Getafe v Espanyol (1900), Elche v Celta Vigo (2100)
Sunday
Villarreal v Real Betis (1100), Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid (1600), Sevilla v Real Sociedad (1800), Rayo Vallecano v Valencia (2000), Barcelona v Almeria (2000)
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.