A Fiery Madrid Derby in the Champions League
A new Madrid derby, but with a different flavor, as Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid collide in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
At the iconic Santiago Bernabéu, Los Blancos will host their city rivals—a team they have historically dominated in Europe. Real Madrid has eliminated Atlético on four occasions: the 2014 and 2016 finals, the 2015 quarterfinals, and the 2017 semifinals.
This clash won’t be easy for either side, as both are locked in a fierce battle with Barcelona for the La Liga title. Their most recent league encounter at the Bernabéu ended in a 1-1 draw just last month.
With both teams boasting attacking firepower, expectations are sky-high. Real Madrid’s front line is as lethal as ever, featuring the Brazilian duo Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, alongside French superstar Kylian Mbappé and English sensation Jude Bellingham.
Mbappé and Vinícius have each netted seven goals in the Champions League this season, with the Frenchman playing a crucial role in eliminating Manchester City—scoring a hat-trick in the second leg (3-1) after netting in the first (3-2).
Vinícius has 18 goals in 36 matches across all competitions this season, while Rodrygo has 13 in 38 games, and Bellingham has 11 in 36 appearances.
On the other side, Atlético’s attacking strength lies in Argentine striker Julián Álvarez, who arrived from Manchester City for $88 million.
Álvarez has been on fire, scoring nine goals in his last 13 matches, bringing his tally to 21 goals in 40 games this season. His latest strike secured a crucial win over Athletic Bilbao, briefly putting Atlético on top of La Liga before Barcelona reclaimed the lead with a dominant 4-0 win over Real Sociedad.
Álvarez has formed a dangerous partnership with veteran Antoine Griezmann, who scored a “Panenka” penalty in the last Madrid derby to secure a 1-1 draw.
Here are some key stats that could help you predict the correct score and win with Betway:
- This will be the 10th European encounter between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, tying Chelsea vs. Liverpool for the most clashes between two teams from the same country in European competition.
- Real Madrid has won all five of their previous Champions League knockout stage encounters against Atlético Madrid.
- However, Atlético has won their last two European matches against Real Madrid (2-1 in the 2017 Champions League semifinal return leg, and 4-2 in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup). Before that, Atlético had won just one of their first eight European encounters with their city rivals (D2, L5).
- Real Madrid has lost just one of their last 17 Champions League knockout stage matches (W11, D5), and they are unbeaten in their last nine (W5, D4) since their last defeat—a 0-4 loss to Manchester City in the 2022-23 semifinals.
- Atlético Madrid has lost their last three away matches in the Champions League knockout stages (0-1 vs. Man City, 0-1 vs. Inter Milan, 2-4 vs. Borussia Dortmund).
For the ultimate Madrid derby betting experience, Betway is the go-to site in Lebanon. From goal-scorer bets to match-winner odds, every Champions League moment is covered with top-tier markets.
