The Madrid Derby through the eyes of its neighbours, friends, and rivals

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Real Madrid vs. Atlético de Madrid is the big game for many Madrid residents, also known as madrileos, even if the city of Madrid today has numerous LALIGA teams.

Real Madrid and Atlético played each other in a number of friendly games and informal encounters when they were both formally created in 1902 and the following year, respectively, until their first-ever official match in the Campeonato Regional Central, a 1-1 tie on December 2, 1906.

When LALIGA was founded in 1928/29 with both clubs as founding members, the rivalry had persisted through various regional and national championships. On February 24, 1929, they faced off at Real Madrid's Chamartn stadium in their inaugural game of the new league.

Monchn Triana, a forward who had recently signed from Atlético, scored both goals as the home club defeated the visitors 2-1, giving them an additional advantage.

Even then, the concept of players traversing the city was not novel. In the 1920s, Atlético hosted the illustrious Los Blancos president Santiago Bernabéu, who is also the name of the stadium where they still play today. In order to avoid relegation in the 1963-1964 season, Real Madrid loaned Atlético forward Ramon Grosso, and in the 1980s, Mexican striker Hugo Sánchez scored in LALIGA derbies for both teams.

Many players today have connections to both sides. Thibaut Courtois, the custodian for Real Madrid, made his LALIGA debut for Atleti back in 2011, and Diego Simeone currently has several players on his roster who formerly played for Real Madrid, including Marcos Llorente, lvaro Morata, Mario Hermoso, and Sal guez.

That does not imply that it has always been cordial. While the rivalry against Real Madrid continues to hold a particular place in many fans' hearts, ElClasico versus FC Barcelona is perhaps LALIGA EA SPORTS' biggest game internationally. The legendary and all-time great Alfredo Di Stéfano of Los Blancos recalls, "The team we wanted to beat, at all costs, was the neighbours. "Losing meant our followers had to put up with jokes in the office, the pub and the street the next day."
LALIGA has given people 172 chances to make fun of one another over the years. Atlético has 40 triumphs, 41 draws, and 91 victories for Real Madrid.

When it comes to league appearances in the match, the late Paco Gento owns the record with 29, while Adelardo Rodriguez of Atlético has the title with 27. Real Madrid's Di Stéfano and 1980s striker Santillana have scored 13 LALIGA goals in the match, while Paco Campos and Adrián Escudero, teammates in the 1940s, and Atlético's Paco Campos, have each scored nine LALIGA goals.

Cup competitions have recently elevated the rivalry both domestically and internationally. In the 2013 Copa del Rey championship, Atlético defeated Real Madrid. The following Champions League finals saw Real Madrid triumph in 2014 and 2016, while Diego Simeone's team defeated their neighbours in 2018. The two teams also faced off in the 2020 Spanish Super Cup final, which Real Madrid won 4-1 on penalties after defeating Atlético, and the 2022-23 Copa del Rey quarterfinals, where Los Blancos defeated Atleti 3-1 after extra time.

(Inputs from Press Release)