On Tuesday evening, the eyes of all football fans will turn to Madrid, where the UEFA Champions League semi-final stage will kick off. In the first match, two teams from the Spanish capital will clash – "Real" against "Atletico". "Real Madrid" - "Atletico" Tournament: UEFA Champions League Stadium: "Santiago Bernabeu" (Madrid) Referee: Martin Atkinson (England) Date and time: 2017-05-02, 21:45 The Madrid teams, who have been facing each other on a regular basis lately, not only in Spain but also in the Champions League tournament. "Atletico" and "Real" meet in this tournament for the fourth consecutive year and not just once but twice in three years these teams had to fight in the final. Sporting form Over the weekend, both teams secured victories in the Spanish league, but with different results. Zinedine Zidane's "white" club, actively fighting for the title, defeated "Valencia" at home with a score of 2-1, while at the same time "Atletico" wiped out "Las Palmas" with a score of 5-0. In the last five matches, the Madrid teams have shown similar sporting form - "Real" won four games and lost in the "El Clasico" duel, while "Rojiblancos" celebrated victories three times, played one draw, and suffered a defeat to "Villarreal" last week. In the last five matches, "Atletico" only conceded one goal, emphasizing Diego Simeone's solid defensive tactics. The defense of "Real" is significantly more vulnerable, conceding 10 goals in the last five matches, while also scoring 17 goals. The "white" team failed to keep a clean sheet in any match, so no nil-nil draws should be expected in this match. The road to the semi-finals The "Royal" club finished second in its group, conceding the first place to Borussia Dortmund. Later, in the round of 16, the Madrid team faced Napoli, who were defeated with an aggregate score of 5-2. In the semi-finals, "Real" faced Bayern Munich, who were considered favorites to win the tournament this season. In the first match, "Real" managed to achieve a positive result by returning from Munich with a 2-1 victory. In the highly-anticipated return leg, the "white team" won 4-2 in extra time, defeating the Bavarians once again and rejoicing in reaching the semi-finals. On the other hand, "Atletico" finished first in their group in the Champions League group stage, leaving behind none other than Bayern Munich. In the round of 16, "Rojiblancos" faced Bayer Leverkusen, defeating the Germans with an aggregate score of 4-2. In the quarter-finals, "Atletico" faced a relatively favorable draw against Leicester City. In the first match, the Madrid team achieved a minimal victory, while in England, they played a 1-1 draw. This result satisfied Diego Simeone's players, leading them to the semi-finals. Team news Zinedine Zidane has two absences ahead of this match - Gareth Bale and Pepe are still recovering from injuries. Defender Raphael Varane has returned to the squad and is ready for the match, but it is unclear if the Frenchman will immediately return to the starting lineup. There were doubts about Karim Benzema's chances to play, but the striker trained with the team at yesterday's training session, indicating that there are no concerns about his availability. Meanwhile, "Atletico" has a huge gap at the right-back position - neither Juanfran nor Sime Vrsaljko are available for the match. However, Vrsaljko trained with the team, but is unlikely to be ready for the match. Due to the injuries of these two players, Jose Gimenez has been placed in that position, although he too suffered an injury. Nevertheless, D. Simeone has received good news - Yannick Carrasco will be available for the team. Predicted starting lineups: "Real Madrid": Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Isco, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema. "Atletico": Jan Oblak; Lucas Hernandez, Stefan Savic, Diego Godin, Filipe Luis; Saul Niguez, Gabi, Koke, Yannick Carrasco; Kevin Gameiro, Antoine Griezmann. Interesting facts This is the fourth consecutive Madrid derby in the Champions League over the past four seasons. However, the teams have never had to compete against each other in the semi-finals – until now, their matches took place in the final or quarter-finals. The last Madrid derby in this tournament ended in failure for "Atletico" – Diego Simeone's players had to acknowledge "Real's" advantage after an 11-meter penalty shootout in the final. "Real" has been unbeaten against Spanish clubs in the Champions League for seven consecutive matches. The last time the "white" team lost to a Spanish club in the tournament was in the 2010-11 season against Barcelona. For the "Royal" club, this will be the seventh consecutive Champions League semi-final. Even in the event of a defeat, "Atletico" should not lower their hands at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium – "Rojiblancos" have been unbeaten in front of their own fans in five consecutive semi-finals (4 wins and 1 draw). In the current season, "Real" and "Atletico" have already squared off twice in Spain – in the first match, Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick secured a 3-0 victory for the "white" team, while in the most recent derby of the season, the teams ended with a draw.
