A possible victory for Real Madrid over the mattress can benefit the Catalan team
MADRID – In the endless sequence of revenges in recent times, the derby for the League between the Athletic of Madrid and the Real Madrid in the Metropolitan, which seeks the answer to a few questions, but above all which proposes the most insistent question of all: Is there a League?
And it is that Athletic of Madrid, With 58 points, Boat with 56 and Real with 53 live their most frantic fight of the last years by the title of Laliga.
The meringue victory, ironically, would help Barça, who would remain two units away from the mattress. But on the other hand, Madrid would get to the Barcelona. What a dilemma.
At this point, the dots say yes. That there is now only a five advantage between the Athletic, The unattainable leader in the last 13 days, and his pursuers reaffirm such an assumption, but move it to what happens in Sunday’s derby, with much more decisive look for the Real Madrid, Visibly pressed.
Victory is almost a must for the white team, weakened in their stalemate at Atletico by 1-1 last Monday against Real Sociedad, but still lives in the title fight, while Zinedine Zidane recovers Karim Benzema, his most overflowing footballer and his best scorer, out of action the last two days.
for Athletic, Which will continue at the top whatever the score, is a test of endurance … And one occasion: a victory would shoot your income on the Real Madrid up to eight points, which could be 11 if he wins at home on Wednesday his postponed duel with Athletic, but in addition, it would be a blow of authority for his leadership, once at the same distance he is chased by the Barcelona.
No one has blurred so much this season in the set Diego Simeone like Real Madrid in the first round (2-0), when the high pressure designed by Zidane devoured a team that until then seemed invincible in the League, but that has lowered its level of football, its solvency defensive and his hook after that defeat. In addition, he has not won a league derby in a decade or nine games: four defeats and five draws since 0-1 2015-16.
Atletico need the goals of Luis Suárez, Stagnant in the last four games in the 16 scored in his first 17 matches or in the eleven he had scored in the nine duels prior to the current drought. There is a certain dependence on the Uruguayan ‘9’. His has been 42 percent of goals since the 2-0 derby.
You also need the best version of Jan Oblak, Rediscovered with unbeaten after eight official matches, and the defensive force that always characterized him, no doubt due to an improper vulnerability throughout the Simeone era: he has conceded 11 goals in the last nine duels; 10 in eight specific duels in the League.
Ahead, the derby is presented as a new final for Real Madrid in a season with more than a moment on the brink of the precipice. From the dream of leadership to the obligation to win the leader. Although Zidane is committed to reducing significance, assuring that no matter what happens they will “always be alive in the league”, the distance of points in any result other than victory would be an impossible slab to lift unless unexpected collapse of the leader .
With the important absences in defense of Sergio Ramos i Dani Carvajal month Eden Hazard and Mariano Díaz in attack, Zidane must decide his eleven based on the drawing he is betting on. He arrives at the appointment after suffering a goring to touch up and put Casemiro in third center after the break against Real.
History is just numbers in the big games but it favors the Real Madrid in the last confrontations against the Athletic one of Madrid in Liga. Nine derbies undefeated, five years since February 27, 2016. None of this counts for Zidane, who repeated too many times to “play good football.” Only from here will his team be able to emerge victorious and regain options to defend the league crown.