Real Madrid can close the gap on FC Barcelona to zero with a win in Sunday’s Madrid derby, or slip as much as six points adrift if they lose and Barcelona take three points of their own this weekend. Barcelona sit top on 18 points from six matches, while Mourinho’s side are second on 15, tied with Real Betis, according to LaLiga.
Atlético Madrid, hosts at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, are fourth on 13. Kick-off is at 4:15pm local time.
A ground Real Madrid cannot solve
Real Madrid have won only one of their last seven LaLiga visits to Atlético’s home. The lone victory came in September 2022, Madrid Universal reported this week. Last season they conceded five goals at the same venue.
Mourinho takes charge of his first Madrid derby since returning to the club. It is also the first time he has coached against Diego Simeone since 2014, when Simeone’s Atlético knocked out Mourinho’s Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Across their previous six meetings Mourinho won three, Simeone won two and one was drawn, Goal reported. All of Mourinho’s wins came in his first spell at Real Madrid.
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Mbappé the swing factor
Kylian Mbappé arrives at the Metropolitano with nine LaLiga goal involvements in six matches, a tally bettered only by Barcelona’s Raphinha on 12, according to Goal’s preview. Real Madrid have won five of six league games, the sole slip a defeat that left them chasing Barcelona at the top.
Mourinho is without three first-team players: Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy are all out injured. Simeone loses his most reliable finisher in Julián Álvarez, ruled out with a muscle strain.
What the scoreboard settles
Barcelona play their own round 7 fixture this weekend, so the exact gap after Sunday depends on both results. In pure derby terms:
A Real Madrid win takes them to 18 points and level with Barcelona’s current tally, though Barcelona would keep top spot on goal difference and could pull clear again with a win of their own.
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A draw leaves Real Madrid on 16 and Atlético on 14, at least three and five points behind Barcelona respectively.
An Atlético win closes the gap to Real Madrid to zero and could leave Mourinho’s side as many as six points behind Barcelona after seven rounds, if the leaders also win.
Sunday’s meeting is the first derby of Mourinho’s second spell in charge, and the first time in 12 years the two managers have faced each other in the same fixture.
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