After an intense week in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have the small matter of a derby clash on Sunday night at the Santiago Bernabeu. It is a match that is at risk of being ‘decaffeinated’ as some Spanish media tend to term it though.
Los Blancos are in need of all three points, as they continue to pursue Barcelona in the title race with four points separating them at the top of the table. They faced Manchester City on Tuesday, and not only have had an extra day of rest, but also were playing against 10-men for 70 minutes of the match. Atletico on the other hand were made to work for a 7-5 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur, who won 3-2 on the night.
In La Liga, Los Colchoneros are in a different situation. Currently 13 points off the title race pace, a challenge is long gone, and while just two points separate them from Villarreal in 4th, they look certain to achieve their goal of Champions League qualification, with 13 points also separating them from Real Betis in 5th. Diario AS say that with little consequence for a win or a defeat, Diego Simeone is considering rotating his squad for the derby.
🚨 Luis De La Fuente: "Marc [Pubill] is having a great season. We prioritize players’ health. The information we had from both the club’s and the national team’s medical staff was that the player had not yet fully recovered. As I always insist, we don’t take risks with players.…
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 20, 2026
The likes of Jose Maria Gimenez, Alex Baena, Thiago Almada and Alexander Sorloth could all be in line for starts – recently all four have been starting on the bench.
Simeone will have in the back of his mind the heavy calendar facing his side. After Real Madrid, Atletico face Barcelona three times in 10 days with a trip to Sevilla sandwiched in between. After the second leg of their Champions League clash with Barcelona, Atletico return to Seville to face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final on the 18th of April.
As things stand, Jan Oblak, Rodrigo Mendoza and Pablo Barrios are all injured, while Marc Pubill sat out against Spurs with rib pain. It is not clear whether he will be fit for Real Madrid, or if he will be risked – he has also been left out of the Spain squad due to his fitness.
