Diego Simeone, Manager of Atletico Madrid
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
Real Madrid will face off against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid tomorrow in La Liga in the first derby of the 2026/27 season.
The Merengues have made a positive start to the season, winning six of their seven matches in all competitions so far.
But a derby against Atletico is never easy, especially away at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where Real Madrid have not had the best fortune in recent years.
It will be a major test for Jose Mourinho who will go up against his former adversary, Diego Simeone, in one of the most highly anticipated fixtures of this weekend.
Ahead of tomorrow’s derby day, Simeone addressed the media in his pre-match press conference, discussing various things, including the availability of Julian Alvarez and his relationship with Mourinho.
On facing Real Madrid
Talking about the importance of the derby and what it meant for Atletico Madrid to get one over Real Madrid in these clashes, Simeone remarked;
“A derby is different. There’s enormous tension and excitement because of the rivalry, because of the competitiveness we’ve managed to rebuild over the last fifteen years. Confidence is a key factor in this match.”
Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid
Simeone looking forward to the derby. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Atleti go into the game on the back of strong performances against Real Sociedad and CA Osasuna, but Simeone refused to read much into it, saying:
“The previous match has nothing to do with the city derby. I don’t think it’s directly linked to Sunday’s match. They are two teams with good players and we have to take the game to where we can cause them problems,” he said.
Respect for Mourinho and key factors in the match
Discussing the key factors that could decide the derby tomorrow, Simeone explained:
“The characteristics of each team. They’ll have a better transition than ours, more direct… They’re powerful, strong players who capitalise on that.
“We have to read the game as well as possible so that they don’t feel too comfortable in their rapid transitions.”
Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid and Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid
Old rivals set to square off. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Touching upon the topic of new Real Madrid Mourinho, Simeone expressed a great deal of respect for the Portuguese tactician, saying:
“I don’t feel like talking about something from so many years ago. I have enormous respect for Mourinho. I’m a great admirer of his; he knows how highly I regard him.
“Hopefully we can compete as we have done whenever we’ve come up against each other.”
Crucially, Simeone also confirmed that Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez will be fit and available for the derby, saying:
“He’ll be with us. We’ll decide whether he starts or comes on in the second half.”
Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal player
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal player
Arsenal will not sell Zubimendi in January. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal player
Real Madrid really admire Zubimendi. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)