Champions League Final Preview: Real Madrid - v- Atletico Madrid

REAL MADRID

Record ten times winners of the European Cup, Real Madrid go into Saturday evening’s Champions League Final against fierce cross city rivals Atletico Madrid at the San Siro Stadium as slight favourites with the bookmakers.

Since taking over from Rafa Benitez in January, former Galactico Zinedine Zidane has reinvigorated his previously underachieving squad, taking them to a second Champions League meeting with Atletico in three seasons.

Two years ago in Lisbon, Real achieved La Décima by winning the European Cup for the tenth time. That victory ended an eleven-year gap to their previous win where Zidane himself played an integral part by scoring a sublime left-footed volley to win the game.

Two years ago, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo really came to the fore for Real then managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Having entered injury time trailing by a single goal, Sergio Ramos levelled to leave a battered and bruised Atletico facing into extra-time, a thirty-minute period which saw Los Blancos run riot as Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo secured victory for Real.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly Real’s star man and he has been struggling with a leg injury leading into the game in Milan. However, Zidane has insisted that the Portuguese international skipper will be fit for the final.

Zidane said: “Ronaldo has been feeling a bit of pain but he’s OK. He’ll be there 100%. He has a little niggle, but that disappears when you’re going to play in a Champions League final.”

Real Madrid’s recent record against Diego Simeone’s Atletico has been less than inspiring having won only one of their last ten meetings in all competitions.

However, Zidane is confident that his side can prevail in this encounter despite their recent derby trouble and having lost to Atletico in their last league game in February at the Bernabeu – Zidane’s first defeat as Real manager.

“It’s going to be a difficult game for sure, extremely difficult, but we already know this and we’re prepared for it. We’ve had two weeks to prepare and now the players want the ball to start rolling.”

French centre-Back Raphael Varane is the only player that Real have doubts over regarding fitness and apart from that issue, they’re at full strength as they attempt to secure a record eleventh European victory.

For more from Zinedine Zidane, see the Extratime.ie pre-match press conference report from our reporter in Milan here.

ATLETICO MADRID

Having beaten last year’s winners FC Barcelona and competition favourites Bayern Munich in consecutive rounds, Atletico Madrid will feel that they are destined to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time.

Unified defensively, tigerish in midfield and clinical in attack, Diego Simeone’s men appear to be the complete package. Despite surrendering more than 70% possession in both legs of their last four tie with Bayern Munich, Atletico progressed on the away-goal rule following Antoine Griezmann’s goal to secure a re-match of the 2014 decider.

Atletico felt aggrieved following that defeat. They seemed sure to win as the game entered the final stages following Diego Godin’s 36^th minute opener. However, a late Real equaliser resulted in a dramatic extra-time collapse for Los Colchoneros, which culminated in Simeone himself being involved in an altercation with officials and rival players at the full-time whistle.

Despite Having lost the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Miranda and Diego Costa since then, the spine of the side remains the same with Diego Godin, Koke and Gabi remaining the central components in a side that seems to thrive in the role as the underdog.

Atletico’s season tapered off following a surprise loss to Levante a month ago which saw them drop out of the La Liga title race, but since then Simeone and his side have been plotting the downfall of their Madrid rivals.

As expected, Simeone expressed his belief that tomorrow’s final will be every bit as intense as the final from 2014 and portrayed a pulpable passion for the club he has managed for four-and-a-half years.

The Argentinian said: “The game will be very tense, very even, especially at the beginning. Casemiro enables them to regroup better if they lose the ball. Whoever wins the early battles in midfield will have an advantage – Madrid, with their technical qualities, might try to play more.

“The club, the players, the group we’ve created, is reinventing itself continuously. That’s what is most valuable at this club. Everyone works with the idea of improving, growing and that’s life – if you work, work, work, eventually you get what you want.”

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England)

MATCH STATS

The Lisbon Final meeting between these sides two years ago was the first final where two teams from the same city contested a European Cup/Champions League decider.

This is the sixth one-country UEFA Champions League final (and the third in four years), with Madrid having won two of the previous five, with Madrid having won two of the previous five.

If Atletico prevail tomorrow night, they would become the 23^rd club to lift the European Cup and the first new name on the trophy since Chelsea in 2012.

MATCH BETTING

Real Madrid 8/5; Draw 21/10; Atletico Madrid 2/1.

MATCH PREDICTION

Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid

Injured: None

Doubtful: Raphael Varane

Suspended: None

Atletico Madrid

Injured: None

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Extratime.ie are covering the UEFA Champions League Final from Milan this weekend. Our reporter Macdara Ferris will be in the San Siro to take us through the match build-up and the game itself, and will have post-match reaction from the Real and Atletico camps. See here for a flavour of his updates from Milan so far.