{"id":55602,"date":"2024-02-02T23:05:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T23:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/atletico-targets-madrid-derby-hat-trick-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T23:05:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T23:05:16","slug":"atletico-targets-madrid-derby-hat-trick-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/atletico-targets-madrid-derby-hat-trick-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Atletico targets Madrid derby hat-trick | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nBARCELONA:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Only one team has beaten La Liga leaders Real Madrid this season — neighbours Atletico Madrid<\/a>, twice.<\/p>\n

Diego Simeone’s side visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in La Liga, aiming to complete a hat-trick of victories over their bitter rivals and wrestle their way into the title race.<\/p>\n

Atletico inflicted Madrid’s only top-flight defeat of the season in September, with a 3-1 home win that shook Carlo Ancelotti’s team.<\/p>\n

Madrid responded with a run of 21 matches without losing, brought to a juddering halt by Atletico again in the Copa del Rey last 16 in January.<\/p>\n

The Rojiblancos romped to a 4-2 extra-time victory to gain revenge for Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final win against them the week before in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

Another win for Atletico on Sunday would mean more than taking the derby honours — it would help revive their title hopes.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid<\/a> lead second place Girona by two points and Atletico, third, by 10.<\/p>\n

Simeone insisted that the previous matches held little relevance ahead of the third clash with Madrid in under a month.<\/p>\n

“It’s a different game, as always in the derby,” said the coach after Atletico secured a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Atletico striker Memphis Depay has hit a rich vein of form ahead of the derby. The Dutch forward has scored in his last three matches.<\/p>\n

“Memphis is working very well in the box, he’s very powerful, very strong,” said Simeone.<\/p>\n

“We have to look after him, we need him and I hope he continues like this because the team needs these performances he’s putting on now.”<\/p>\n

Both sides have problems in defence, with Atletico missing Jose Gimenez and Cesar Azpilicueta, while Madrid are without long-term absentees Eder Militao and David Alaba, as well as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.<\/p>\n

Ancelotti said he did not think Atletico had his team’s number after they put four past Madrid in the Copa del Rey.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think so, because a few days ago we beat them,” pointed out the Italian coach.<\/p>\n

“Atletico have very dangerous players, who can score goals against you … the last two games we’ve played against them, we could have done better.<\/p>\n

“We’ve also scored a lot against them too, and against Atletico things aren’t so simple.”<\/p>\n

The Italian was able to rest some players as Madrid eased to a 2-0 win over Getafe on Thursday night, knowing on Sunday they have a chance to knock Atletico out of the title race.<\/p>\n

The Barcelona midfielder has not hit the heights of his finest days at Manchester City, but is improving despite the team’s struggles. Gundogan’s delivery contributes a large part of Barcelona’s attacking edge and he will aim to keep the champions’ withering title defence alive at Alaves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BARCELONA: Only one team has beaten La Liga leaders Real Madrid this season — neighbours Atletico Madrid, twice. Diego Simeone’s side visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in La Liga, aiming to complete a hat-trick of victories over their bitter rivals and wrestle their way into the title race. Atletico inflicted Madrid’s only top-flight defeat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.tribune.com.pk\/media\/images\/madrid1706886169-0\/madrid1706886169-0.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t