Spanish La Liga title-chasers and fierce rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid square off in a repeat of last season’s Champions League final. The 2014 final saw Atleti just seconds from winning the trophy, but a late equaliser took the game to extra time, where Real took advantage of tired legs to eventually win 4-1 at the final whistle.
This time, the two sides are playing for a place in the semi-finals of the competition, with the first leg at the Vicente Calderon. Real are narrow favourites to win, but Atletico boast a great home record ahead of the fixture. The players are certainly fired up to help their side to a result too, with Atleti striker Fernando Torres admitting he and the majority of the squad have beaten waiting for Tuesday’s clash ever since the Champions League draw was made.
“Everyone is waiting the whole year to play these kinds of games — the quarterfinal of the Champions League against the biggest team in the world right now. I was born in Madrid — living in the same city, you can see how great they are and how big the club is. Once you are away, you realize that it’s not only in Spain, it’s around the world,” he said.
“There is so much history, and you need to play and win against that history. It’s difficult to play against them because you fight against everything, the history, the players, but because of that the motivation is always so high. We need to forget everything that’s happened in the past, the victories, the defeats, everything, because you cannot use that for the game. We are focused on winning, and doing everything it takes.”
Diego Simeone’s side have lost just one game at home in the league and Europe this season. They have won every home clash in the Champions League, and boast an 81% win ratio in their own backyard in La Liga. Real Madrid have looked a little more human on the road. Carlo Ancelotti’s men lost their last home game in the Champions League to German side Schalke, and have lost three of their previous five on the road, so they will be tentative on Tuesday.
In the league this season, Atleti have beaten Real on both occasions at the Vicente Calderon and the Santiago Bernabeu, so there’s no reason why they can’t replicate such performances in Europe. They were outstanding last season in La Liga, and will be desperate to get revenge against Real following the heart-breaking loss in the Champions League final.
Can Atletico Madrid get revenge against Real Madrid?
