The Colchoneros may have lost out twice to their city rivals in the Champions League, but they boast an impeccable recent Liga record against the Merengue
Atletico Madrid approaches the latest derby against Real Madrid no longer feeling inferior to its cross-city rival, according to head coach Diego Simeone.
Despite generally playing second fiddle in Spain's capital, Atleti has been revitalized under Simeone's leadership – most notably when it memorably claimed the 2013-14 La Liga title at Barcelona's expense on the final day of the season.
The club lost that year's Champions League final to Madrid and repeated the same heartache after a penalty shootout at San Siro earlier this year in May, but is unbeaten in the past six La Liga encounters against its rival, winning four of those games.