Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

The 2024 Supercopa de Espana kicks-off on Wednesday night as the two Madrid giants meet in the first semi-final.

Saudi Arabia will once again play host to the competition with four teams vying for silverware out in the Middle East. Last season’s Copa del Rey winners Real Madrid will do battle with crosstown rivals Atletico in Riyadh for a place in the final.

Real have been nothing short of irresistible so far this term, although Atletico are the only team to beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side. They did so by a 3-1 scoreline back in September.

Diego Simeone’s men haven’t been able to keep pace with Real and Girona at the summit, however. Before travelling to the Kingdom, Atletico sunk to fifth in La Liga after losing a thriller to unlikely title hopefuls Girona.

Here’s 90min’s preview of Wednesday’s Supercopa de Espana semi-final.

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Real Madrid confirmed lineup vs Atletico (4-3-1-2): Kepa; Carvajal, Nacho, Rudiger, Mendy; Tchouamenu, Modric, Valverde; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius.

Atletico confirmed lineup vs Real Madrid (3-1-4-2): Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Koke; Llorente, De Paul, Saul, Lino; Griezmann, Morata.

It’s been a rusty opening to 2024 for Real Madrid but Ancelotti’s men have nonetheless claimed back-to-back wins. An uptick in performance level is necessary if they’re to triumph in Saudi Arabia.

Simeone’s Rojiblancos are never an easy match-up for Los Blancos and their defeat at the Wanda in September showed how Atletico can take advantage of their vulnerabilities. Despite their imperious record thus far, this is not a Real side without weaknesses.

Atletico have the capacity to dazzle, but Simeone often reverts to type for occasions such as this. Thus, a low-scoring affair is more likely and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of the sides progress on penalties.

Prediction: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid

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