If Real Madrid beat Atletico, Los Blancos will face rivals Barcelona on Sunday in El Clasico


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Barcelona may have booked their place in the Supercopa de España final, but now it'll be down to a Madrid derby to see who will join them out of Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. With the first title of the LaLiga season on the line in this tournament, both of these teams are trailing Barcelona in the league table despite entering with ambitions of winning it. With Xabi Alonso taking over at Real Madrid and adding reinforcements to the squad, and Diego Simeone looking to show that he can still lead Atleti to glory, this derby is one that could have a serious trickle-down effect for the loser.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid, odds
Date: Thursday, Jan. 8 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Alinma Bank Stadium at King Abdullah Sport City -- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Atletico Madrid +200; Draw +260; Real Madrid +125

Alonso will already need to shuffle his squad as star striker Kylian Mbappe misses out with a knee injury, but during the Club World Cup, backup striker Gonzalo Garcia showed that he's someone who can be relied on, but after Atletico already won the last meeting between these two sides 5-2 back in September, it'll come down to more than just the attack here. Real have also struggled in their recent matches facing top opposition, losing to Liverpool and Inter in Champions League play, all of which is leading to questions about whether Alonso is the best man for the job. While it's still early in his tenure and Real Madrid's injury list hasn't handed him any favors, the weight of the Real Madrid job comes with sometimes unreasonable expectations.

It's quite a contrast to Atletico Madrid, where Diego Simeone has become an institution, leading the team since 2011. While he's won LaLiga twice, the Europa League twice, and the Copa Del Rey, the investment in the club as of late calls for more. Splashing out €176 milion ahead of the season on new signings, expectations are there for the squad to compete at the highest level and while Real Madrid have been the more successful side recently this Atleti side has trophies on their mind.

With this already being a rivalry, there's another layer added to the mix when a loss could lead to significant downstream changes. Both teams are taking part in Champions League play, but the easiest path to a trophy is one that takes the fewest wins. Barcelona may be waiting on the other side, but either of these teams are two wins from creating a defining moment in their seasons. Both are in need of a trophy to kickstart their seasons, and that should lead to quite a chess match on the pitch.

Unfortunately, only one team can emerge with a victory, but that's how soccer works at the highest level. After the first match between these two ended in a lopsided score, the goal will be ensuring that at least for the team that falters on Thursday, it's a closer margin.

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Posted by Temmy
Thu, January 08, 2026 9:01pm