La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid - All you need to know

bet365 News Team Updated: 20 Mar 23 09:43 Published: 17 Sep 22 13:03

The derby clash between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid is one of the biggest fixtures in European football.

This article was originally published on 17 September 2022

The Madrid clubs, along with Barcelona, are the dominant forces in Spanish football history and they have produced some memorable matches in La Liga and the Champions League.

Here is all you need to know about the Madrid derby, a match that was last played on 18th September 2022, with Real claiming a 2-1 victory over Atleti at the Metropolitano Stadium.

How many times has Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid been played?

As of September 2022, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have played each other 230 times in all competitions since their first La Liga meeting in February 1929.

Real won that game 2-1, having also triumphed by the same scoreline in their first official fixture against Atletico in the Campeonato Regional Centro in December 1906.

Who is the most successful team in Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid?

Real Madrid have traditionally had the upper hand in their rivalry with Atletico and the first 171 La Liga meetings between the pair, as of September 2022, have featured 91 wins for Real, 40 victories for Atletico and 40 draws.

Real's La Liga success in 2021/22 was their 35th league title, a record in the Spanish top flight, while 2020/21 champions Atletico are third on that list with 11 titles.

What is the highest winning margin in Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid?

There have been three 5-0 league victories in the Madrid derby with Atletico claiming the first of them in the 1947/48 season.

Real put five unanswered goals past their city rivals in 1958/59 and again in October 1983 when they were managed by their legendary former player Alfredo Di Stefano.

Have any players featured for both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid?

Several players have represented both Atletico and Real Madrid over the years – including the man after whom Real's stadium is named.

Santiago Bernabeu, a Real stalwart both as a player and club president, made one official appearance for Atletico in 1920, while more recent stars who played for both teams include prolific Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez and German midfielder Bernd Schuster, who also spent eight seasons at Barcelona.

Santiago Solari moved from Atletico to the Bernabeu in 2000 and was part of Real's 'galacticos' era, winning two La Liga titles and the 2002 Champions League.

Spain internationals Jose Antonio Reyes, Alvaro Morata and Marcos Llorente also crossed the divide and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has enjoyed great success at both Madrid clubs.

Courtois won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League as an Atletico player before establishing himself as a key man for Real, claiming two more league titles and being named man of the match in the 2022 Champions League final victory over Liverpool.

Have Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid met in the Champions League?

Yes, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have played each other nine times in the European Cup and Champions League, up until the end of the 2021/22 season.

The pair famously clashed in the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016 with Real coming out on top on both occasions.

They needed a 93rd-minute equaliser from Sergio Ramos in 2014 before winning 4-1 in extra-time and two years later the rivals could only be separated by a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes.

Juanfran, a graduate of the Real Madrid youth system, missed Atletico's fourth penalty before Cristiano Ronaldo converted Real's fifth spot-kick to seal their 11th Champions League triumph.

Who is the record goalscorer in Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid?

The top 10 goalscorers in the Madrid derby include some legendary names from Real's history including Di Stefano, Raul, Ferenc Puskas and Emilio Butragueno.

Way out in front, though, is Portugal superstar Ronaldo, who scored 22 goals against Atletico during his nine seasons in Spain, including a hat-trick in the 2016/17 Champions League semi-final first leg at the Bernabeu.

Atletico's leading derby scorer is Paco Campos, who was born in the Canary Islands but made his name in the Spanish capital with nine league goals and three more in cup competitions against Real in the 1940s.

Former Real Madrid captain Ramos has made the most derby appearances – 43 – and Adelardo, a midfielder who played for Atletico from 1959 to 1976, featured in 35 games against Real.