On Sunday, September 20, Atlético de Madrid host Real Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. It's an early-season derby, but far from an ordinary one: Madrid sit second on 12 points and Atlético fourth on 10. Just two points separate them, and both have a midweek game to play first. We use this season's data to break down how each side arrives and what those numbers are telling us.
Real Madrid's form
Madrid have played five league games: four wins and one defeat, with 14 goals scored and only 4 conceded. That's the second-best attack in the league, behind Barcelona on 21. Their only loss came in Seville, away to Betis, who won 1-0 on September 4.
The response came on Saturday the 12th against Rayo Vallecano: 4-1 at the Bernabéu. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute, set up Álvaro Carreras for the second in the 17th and wrapped things up in the 91st from an Arda Güler pass. In between, Jude Bellingham made it 3-0 from a Vinícius Júnior assist. Madrid took 24 shots, 11 of them on target. Those are the numbers of a team that creates a lot.
There's one detail we think matters. At home, Madrid have won everything: three games, 12 goals scored and 2 conceded. On the road it's a different story: a win at Espanyol (1-2) and the defeat at the Villamarín, with 2 goals scored and 2 conceded. The derby is an away game.
Atlético de Madrid's form
Atlético have three wins, one draw and one defeat, with 10 goals scored and 6 conceded. They started well against Málaga (2-0), dropped two points at home to Villarreal (2-2) and picked up a big win in Seville (1-3). Then came the worst day of their season: 3-0 at San Mamés against Athletic.
On Sunday the 13th they bounced back at Anoeta with a 0-3 win over Real Sociedad that makes for an interesting read. All three goals came from the 84th minute onwards: Alejandro Grimaldo from the penalty spot, Jonathan David from a Grimaldo pass in the 90th and Giuliano Simeone in the 95th, set up by Dávid Hancko. Atlético had less of the ball (46.6%) and took 13 shots, 5 on target.
Our take: this is a team that knows how to wait and punish, but winning games with three goals in the last ten minutes isn't something you can repeat every week. Against an opponent that fires off 24 shots in a game, sitting back could prove costly.
The common opponents that say a lot
Both teams have already faced Real Sociedad and Málaga, which lets us compare more than just the table. Against Real Sociedad, Madrid won 4-1 at home and Atlético 0-3 away. Against Málaga, Madrid won 4-0 and Atlético 2-0, both at their own grounds.
Both scored at least two against each opponent and neither conceded more than one. The difference is Madrid's ruthlessness at home, which is exactly what they won't have on Sunday. That's why we think the derby will be a lot tighter than the goal differences in the table suggest (+10 for Madrid against +4 for Atlético).
The week before the derby
There's a midweek round before Sunday, and it's worth a look. Madrid travel to Elche on Tuesday the 15th. Elche are second from bottom with 2 points and have conceded 13 goals in five games, so on paper it's a game Madrid should win.
Atlético host Osasuna on Wednesday the 16th. Osasuna are 11th with 7 points, having scored 5 and conceded 8. The fixture-list detail: Atlético play a day after Madrid, so they head into the derby with one day less of rest.
And there's a third party involved. Barcelona, top of the table with 15 points and a perfect record, host Racing on Wednesday and visit Sevilla on Saturday the 19th, the day before the derby. If they win both, the game at the Metropolitano will be played with both Madrid sides under pressure not to lose any more ground.
What's at stake in the table
If both win midweek, Madrid will arrive on 15 points and Atlético on 13. In that case, an Atlético win in the derby would move them above Madrid in the standings. A draw would keep the gap as it is, and a Madrid win would stretch it to five points, already a significant lead for September.
Keep an eye on the top of the table too: Alavés and Sevilla also have 10 points, the same as Atlético, and Deportivo have 9 without losing. The derby could reshuffle the entire top half.
Our take
Madrid have more goals and more attacking volume, and Mbappé comes into it off a game with two goals and an assist. Atlético have shown they can suffer without the ball and win late. But the Metropolitano hasn't been a fortress yet this season: one win and one draw, with 4 goals scored and 2 conceded.
For us, the key will be whether Atlético can stop Madrid from reaching those 20 shots per game. If the derby is a low-shot affair, the script favors the home side. If it opens up, Madrid have more firepower.
Kick-off time and where to follow it
Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Kick-off times: 16:15 in Spain, 08:15 in Mexico City, 09:15 in Bogotá and Lima, 10:15 in New York and Miami, 11:15 in Buenos Aires and 07:15 in Los Angeles.
On the Golazo Scores match page you'll find the live score, the lineups once they're announced and minute-by-minute stats. In our Where to watch section, we find the channel showing it in your country.
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