Madrid Derby Showcases Two Teams in Different Form

• Eurosport, Friday, September 27, 2013 2:51 PM

The Madrid derby on Saturday sees a misfiring Real take on high-flying Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are coming off a dubious 2-1 win against lowly Elche thanks to a 96th-minute Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, while Diego Simeone & Co. have won all six of their opening La Liga games.

"I am not happy," Ancelotti told a news conference after the Elche match. "We suffered a lot, especially at the end. The team did not control the match after Ronaldo's [first] goal. The important thing is the result but it's not enough, we have to play better. Playing like that we will not win the derby ... above all we have to play with more intensity and personality."

Atletico, meanwhile, will no doubt be boosted by its memorable 2-1 Copa del Rey victory against Real in the same stadium last May -- the club’s first victory against its bitter rival in any competition in 14 years. "We are on a positive run, the fans are happy," Simeone told a news conference after Tuesday's 2-1 La Liga win at home to Osasuna. "Each day the responsibility is growing and the demands even more and that's why we have to rest properly and train hard."

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