The big fixture in matchday six is undoubtedly the Madrid derby at the Civitas Metropolitano. Real Madrid make the short trip across town to the home of their local rivals Atletico Madrid, and the occasion is sure to be a captivating one.
Derbies is Spanish football are always very intense, and the Madrid derby is no different. There have been many flashpoints in the matches over the years, and Sunday’s fixture is expected to be no different.
As such, there will plenty of eyes on the performance of Javier Alberola Rojas, who will be the man in the middle at the Metropolitano. He will have manage things accordingly, and Atletico head coach Diego Simeone hopes that the referee is in for a quieter evening (via Diario AS).
“We are worried about the game, not the refereeing. The referee must be left alone – he is a great referee, I think it is his first derby. He will face it with the expectation of doing well, just like the players.”
On the match itself, Simeone expressed confidence at getting a good result, following on from the good performance against Lazio in midweek.
“It is an important league match, which we have to prepare for in the best way. The Champions League is behind us and we hope to follow the line of the game in Rome, which was good in my opinion.
“We will face an opponent who is very good, very strong, very sure of what they do. It will be tough, difficult, like all the matches we play against Real Madrid.”
Atletico Madrid have an imperious record of late at the Metropolitano – having won their last 10 matches – and they will hope to carry that on against Real Madrid, although it will be far from easy.
