Real vs Atletico Madrid: The Best Derby In The World
Madrid is the only city in Europe that can boast of having had two representatives in one Champions League final and it has managed to do so on two occasions no less.
The Spanish capital’s derby has become the best and most important in the world in recent seasons in terms of the quality of the two teams competing.
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Both Real and Atletico are among the best teams in the game today and whatever the result is on Saturday, few will be too shocked about the outcome.
Along with the German region of Ruhr, Madrid is the only place that currently has two clubs still in the latter stages of European competition.
In the UEFA rankings, Real are currently top dogs as Champions League holders, while the Rojiblancos are ranked fourth in the standings.
Both are in the quarter-final of Europe’s premier club competition and are both situated in the top three of the LaLiga.
In their ranks, the squads also possess Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann, who finished first and third in the Ballon d’Or voting respectively.
Aside from Madrid, as previously mentioned, only the Ruhr derby boasts having two clubs still competing in Europe, with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-final and Schalke reaching the same stage in the Europa League.
But on closer examination of the sides’ league form, Dortmund currently sit fourth, while Schalke are in 12th spot, which isn’t quite as impressive as the Madrid duo have managed.
London is a city where people eat, sleep and breathe football and has many great rivalries.
Although Tottenham and Chelsea are the best in the Premier League this season, the city bragging rights have largely been dominated by the Blues and Arsenal.
However, those sides weren’t quite as impressive in Europe this year, with Chelsea failing to even qualify for continental competition and Arsenal bowing out at the last 16 phase against Bayern Munich.
Since Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City, their local derby against Manchester United has also risen in prominence.
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The Red Devils have historically had the upper hand in the fixture but the influx of wealth at their ‘noisy neighbours’ has swung the pendulum the other way somewhat in recent years.
Jose Mourinho’s side are currently aiming to pick up a continental trophy this season in the form of the Europa League, while the Citizens were beaten by Monaco in the Champions League.
The Milan derby is widely regarded as one of the biggest in Europe but two of Italy’s finest clubs are both going through transitional periods in their history.
Neither are involved in the fight for major domestic honours, let alone European titles, and are currently sat outside the top five in Serie A, which has resulted in both their UEFA rankings plummeting to the 40s.
Although the Lisbon derby may not be instantly acknowledged as one of the most attractive, it is one of the few cities to have had two teams in the Champions League this season.
Sporting, who were in Real’s group, were eliminated at the group phase, while Benfica were beaten in the first knockout round.
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South America does feature the always tasty Boca-River derby, one which is rightly considered to be up there with the very best of them, but while Boca currently sit first in the league, their rivals are quite a way back in fifth.
In Brazil, whose league doesn’t start until May, Flamengo-Fluminense and Corinthians-Sau Paulo are the derbies to keep a close eye on.
Elsewhere in that continent, Nacional’s clashes with Penarol are usually exciting and fiery affairs, while fireworks can be expected University and Colo Colo in Chile face off, which is also the case in Medellin’s local derby between Atletico Nacional and Independiente in Colombia.
