Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid. UEFA Champions League Semi-Final.
Santiago BernabeuAttendance77,609.
Tuesday 2 May 2017 20:22, UK
Zinedine Zidane does not think Real Madrid are favourites in their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, despite his side holding the upper hand in recent meetings with their city rivals.
Tuesday night's first leg at the Bernabeu sees the two teams meet in the competition for the fourth successive year. Real have won on all three previous occasions, including in two finals in 2014 and 2016 as well as a quarter-final in between.
"We're not favourites. It's 50-50, as it always is in the knockout stages," said Zidane at his pre-match press conference.
"We know each other very well. The rivalry with Atleti hasn't changed since I was a player. It's a derby in the capital. It's intense, but the rivalry remains the same. We need to do everything well tomorrow. If we do, then we'll see.
"We have to prove we are good enough. We will do everything in our power to win Tuesday night's game and we can't think about the return leg yet.
"To make it through to the semi-finals means you have done a very good job. We hope to go another step further.
"Atletico Madrid in the last four or five years have been very good, they get better every year and they are a tough test. We find them tough rivals.
"Atletico never give in, they keep fighting and they know what their strengths are. They are very good at getting the best out of their side. But let's see, we have got plenty of strengths too and we want to focus on our game plan.
"We know how they play, their strengths and weaknesses - and they know ours. We cannot invent anything new. We are looking forward to the tie, that is for sure and, whatever we do, we have to play to our full potential."
Counterpart Diego Simeone believes Atletico's ability to stifle an early Real onslaught could hold the key against their Madrid rivals.
"I see a match in which they make a strong start," Simeone told his pre-match press conference. "They will try to hurt us in the first minutes with the intensity of their players.
"We will have to take the match to where we feel more comfortable. Two very big teams are going to play each other this Tuesday."
He added in quotes reported on the Atletico website: "We will put together a team that competes with the heart of any fan of Atletico de Madrid."
Zidane has been boosted by the news that Raphael Varane is fit after a hamstring injury. However, fellow centre-half Pepe is not available.
The Real boss gave little away about his team selection, refusing to be drawn on whether Isco or James Rodriguez would replace the injured Gareth Bale.
Atletico look like they will have defensive problems at the Bernabeu, with Jose Gimenez and Juanfran likely to miss out.
With Sime Vrsaljko already out, centre-half Gimenez was filling in at right-back for Juanfran against Las Palmas on Saturday when he was injured.
Without any right-back available, Diego Simeone could play Stefan Savic in the position and bring youngster Lucas Hernandez into the middle, although it is unlikely he would break up the Savic-Diego Godin partnership for such a big game.
This is the fourth season in succession that these city rivals face off in the Champions League knockout phase; Atletico are yet to claim victory over Los Blancos during this recent run (D2 L2).
This is a re-run of the 2013/14 and 2015/16 finals; Real Madrid claiming a 4-1 win and a penalty shootout victory respectively to lift the trophy on both occasions.
Real and Atletico have met in a European Cup/Champions League semi-final before, Los Blancos progressing through to the final after three legs against their city rivals during the 1958/59 campaign; they went on to lift the trophy.
Atletico have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the third time in four seasons. They had never reached that stage previously (since 1992/93).
Real have reached the Champions League semis for the 7th consecutive season, a record in the history of the tournament.
Atletico Madrid have lost only one of their 10 Champions League games this season (W7 D2).
I'm still not convinced that Real are clicking this year as there are still some issues, whereas Atletico are starting to pick up at the ideal time for this tie.
Atletico will sit in and there won't be a dramatic charge, even if they go a goal down. They'll go to agitate Real and turn this into a fist fight.
I'd be looking at Diego Simeone's men to leave with a decent result here and qualify back at the Vicente Calderon, in what will be the final Madrid derby there.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-1, Gameiro to score first (45/1 with Sky Bet)
Real Madrid are Sky Bet's 3/4 favourites to establish a first-leg lead, with Atletico Madrid 19/5 while the draw is 13/5. Diego Simeone's men are also 5/4 outsiders to qualify and 7/2 to win the competition, with Real heading the outright market at 13/8.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the 3/1 first goalscorer favourite and enhanced to 10/1 to score from outside the area in Sky Bet's Price Boosts, while Antoine Griezmann is an 11/2 chance to net first.
