It’s not usual for the La Liga standings to feature a team other than Real Madrid and Barcelona. But for now, it does, with Atletico Madrid in top place with 58 points, followed by the Blaugrana and Real Madrid, both with 53 points. Moreover, Atletico Madrid have played one game less than their rivals.
Of course, Atletico Madrid now start the real struggle to keep top place until the end of the season. And the match against city rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, March 7 is a true test of strength and determination.
Los Colchoneros are aiming on a first La Liga title triumph since 2014 – and are enjoying a good season. February, however, held mixed fortunes for them – they dropped points with Celta Vigo and Levante, and suffered a 1-0 Champions League defeat by Chelsea. Are they starting to feel the strain? Possibly – though last Sunday’s victory at Villareal helped to ease the nerves.
In theory, Diego Simeone’s side can settle for a draw and still maintain a good lead. But in a Madrid derby, no one will want to settle for one point. Especially because Simeone wants to cement his history with the club by clocking 309 wins – one more than legendary Atletico Madrid coach Luis Aragones.
That said, five Madrid derbies out of the last nine have ended in a stalemate, so a draw could be on the cards. Though with such firing power on the pitch, even a draw could yield goals – Meridianbet has both teams scoring at 1.89. Atletico Madrid scoring first is at 2.07 while Real Madrid scoring first is at 2.09.
Real Madrid will be looking to chip at Atletico Madrid’s advantage. Last weekend they came from behind to clinch a draw with Real Sociedad – and they will be looking to return to winning. However, Zinedine Zidane’s side have some key players missing – Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema are doubtful, while Sergio Ramos is still nursing an injury.
Meridianbet is quoting victory for either Madrid side at 2.75 and a draw at 3.15. To add more excitement to the game, Meridianbet’s latest no deposit bonus is giving new players a €10 sports betting bonus. New players can now register and verify – and get €10 sports betting bonus to spend on sports accumulators, with no conditions for using the bonus. This improved bonus for sports betting is not tied to the number of matches or odds like before. In fact, new players do not need to spend their bonus on a minimum of six matches per ticket with odds of 3.0 or higher per match.
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