Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid kicks off on 20 Sept 2026 at 10:15 EST and 14:15 GMT.
In-form Real travel to Atleti after late heroics
Real Madrid needed a stoppage-time winner from Carlos Espi to eventually claim three points in a thrilling 3-2 win at Elche last time out. The 21-year-old Spaniard has now scored two winners this season in the 90th minute or later, after his heroics against Espanyol in August. Los Blancos have been near perfect this season, winning six of seven matches across all competitions. Their only blemish was a 1-0 defeat to an impressive Real Betis side.
Getty ImagesAtleti look back on track
Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid snapped a two-game losing streak against Bilbao in the league and Liverpool in the Champions League, bouncing back with LaLiga wins against Real Sociedad and Osasuna. They've found their shooting boots too, scoring seven times in those two successes. Six different players were on the score sheet across that pair of victories, including Canadian loanee Jonathan David, who notched in both. Sunday's hosts trail Real by just two points ahead of kickoff.
Getty ImagesKey stats & injury news
- Both sides have scored in each of the last three competitive H2Hs.
- Arda Guler leads LaLiga this season with eight big chances created.
- Atleti remain without Pablo Barrios and Julian Alvarez, but Alexander Sorloth has returned to training.
- Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo are all long-term absentees for the visitors.
- Kylian Mbappe has directly contributed to nine goals in LaLiga, only Barcelona's Raphinha (12) has more.
Getty ImagesLikely XIs
Atleti (442): Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Le Normand, Grimaldo; Lee, Koke, Cardoso, Baena; Lookman, David.
Real (4231): Courtois; Trent, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Diomande, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe.
Team news & squads
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Probable lineups
Manager
- D. Simeone
Diego Simeone's preparations have been dealt a blow with Julian Alvarez ruled out of the derby through a muscle strain. The Atletico head coach has no other injury or suspension information currently confirmed, and further squad updates are expected closer to kick-off.
Jose Mourinho must plan without three first-team players on the Real Madrid side, with Eder Militao, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy all listed as injured. No suspensions are recorded for the visitors, and no additional squad updates have been confirmed at this stage.
Form
Atletico Madrid head into this fixture with a record of two wins, one draw, and two losses from their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing was a commanding 3-0 victory away at Real Sociedad in La Liga, which followed defeats to Athletic Bilbao, who beat them 3-0, and Liverpool in the Champions League. Across those five games, Atletico have scored nine goals and conceded eight. The win at Sociedad snapped a run of consecutive losses and provided Simeone's squad with a timely confidence boost.
Real Madrid arrive with four wins and one defeat from their last five matches. Their most recent result was the 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, and they also claimed a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League during that run. Their only defeat came at Real Betis, a 1-0 reverse in La Liga. Madrid have scored 11 goals and conceded four across those five fixtures, with their attacking output particularly strong in recent weeks.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these two sides came in La Liga in March 2026, when Real Madrid won 3-2 at the Bernabeu. Across the last five head-to-head fixtures, Real Madrid have won three times, with Atletico claiming one victory — a 5-2 home win in La Liga in September 2025 — and one further win for Atletico coming in the Champions League. Real Madrid have scored 10 goals across those five meetings, with Atletico netting 11.
Standings
In La Liga, Atletico Madrid currently sit fourth, while Real Madrid are placed second ahead of this fixture.