Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho will renew their managerial rivalry on Sunday when Atletico Madrid host Real Madrid in a highly anticipated La Liga derby at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The encounter comes more than a decade after the two managers first faced each other in a Madrid derby, with Mourinho then in charge of Real Madrid.
Their first meeting came in 2012 at Atletico’s former home, the Vicente Calderon Stadium, where Mourinho’s Real Madrid secured a 4-1 victory, BBC Sport reports.
The pair later met in the Champions League in 2014, when Mourinho was managing Chelsea. Atletico eliminated the English side at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese has won all three of his Madrid derbies against Simeone. Atletico’s only victory over Real during that period came in the 2013 Copa del Rey final, when they secured a 2-1 extra-time win to end a 14-year wait for a derby victory.
Real Madrid enter Sunday’s clash second in the La Liga table, six points ahead of Barcelona. They have collected five victories from six league games, with their only defeat coming away to Real Betis.
Their most recent league outing produced a dramatic 3-2 victory at Elche. Real established a 2-0 advantage before the hosts drew level, only for Carlos Espi to score a 91st-minute winner.
“It’s not normal to be winning 2-0, then the other team is able to equalise.
“The league is a marathon, and it’s not always a straight line. There will be obstacles, but we will be there to overcome them.”
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“I am aware of the fact that we can improve; we have to improve, but I also see a lot of very positive collective and individual things, and in the three games where we needed last-minute winners, we found them,” Mourinho said.
Atletico, meanwhile, have recorded four wins, one draw and one defeat in the league so far. They sit fourth, two points behind Real Madrid.
Simeone’s side responded to defeats by Athletic Club and Liverpool with back-to-back league victories, beating Real Sociedad 3-0 away before recording a 4-0 home win over Osasuna.
Atletico also claimed a 5-2 victory in the corresponding fixture last season, handing an early setback to Real Madrid’s previous project under Xabi Alonso, according to BBC Sport.
Simeone, who has overseen more than 800 matches since taking charge of Atletico in 2011, identified Real’s strength in attacking transitions as an area his team must manage carefully.
Speaking on Real’s team, Simeone said, “They’re better in transition than us.
“When there’s a loss of possession, they look for [Kylian] Mbappe and Vinicius Jr; they play to that strength.
“We have to read the game well and not allow any turnovers, so we don’t allow them to use those transitions.”