It’s matchday 7 of the 26/27 La Liga season with one of the biggest games of the season taking place this weekend, the Madrid derby or El Derbi Madrileño. Atlético Madrid will host the first encounter of the season at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. This won’t just be a match for civic pride, but a match that could impact the title race down the line. Both sides have already dropped points this season and can’t afford to drop more points if they want to stay in the title conversation, especially since FC Barcelona has had an amazing start to the season. 13 years, 4 months, and 3 days after Real Madrid's loss to Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey final (1-2), José Mourinho will once again manage in El Derbi Madrileño against Diego Simeone. These two have faced off on six separate occasions with Mourinho winning three, Simeone winning two, and one match ending in a draw. However, when it comes to La Liga, these two have faced off on three separate occasions with the Portuguese manager winning all three against Simeone. Another interesting statistic is that since 2023, the home side in El Derbi Madrileño hasn't lost, which is not something the away team will want to hear before the match. Los Colchoneros have had a decent start to the season as they have won four matches, drawn one match and lost one in the league. Their first game in the UEFA Champions League this season was not so great as they suffered a 2-1 loss away at Anfield. Since that UCL loss, they managed to beat Real Sociedad away (0-3) with goals from Grimaldo (84’), Jonathan David (90’), and Giuliano Simeone (90+5’). Following that win, they destroyed Osasuna at home (4-0), with goals from Jonathan David (24’), Kang-in Lee (54’), Le Normand (63’), and Baena (82’). In last season's derby, Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid at home (5-2) with an incredible performance from Julián Álvarez, who is expected to be with the squad after missing the last two matches due to injury. Luckily for Real Madrid, it seems like they might be spared from another incredible Julián Álvarez performance as he hasn’t been in the best of form following his dramatic transfer saga. However, this doesn’t mean another player can’t shine especially with players like Álex Baena and newcomers Jonathan David and Kang-in Lee who have all had a great start to the season. Los Merengues have had a very good start to the season as they have won five of their six league matches with their only defeat coming away at Real Betis (1-0). In their first UEFA Champions League match this season, they narrowly scraped a 2-1 win at home against the Italian champions, Inter Milan. After that win, they went on to beat Rayo Vallecano at home (4-1), with goals from Mbappé (14’ and 90+1’), Carreras (17’) and Bellingham (35’). They then managed to scrape a win against Elche away (2-3) with an own goal from Dituro (25’), a goal from Mbappé (33’) and a late winner from Espí (90+1’). Under José Mourinho, the team doesn't always look pretty, often relying instead on the individual quality of his players, which has been effective so far. With a team full of quality players like Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius Jr., and Arda Güler, it's rare for a team like Real Madrid not to show their quality, especially in big games like this. Newcomer Carlos Espí is one player you will want to keep an eye on, especially if Real Madrid is looking for a late equalizer or winner. Will Simeone finally be able to beat Mourinho in La Liga? Will Real Madrid finally end their winless run at the Metropolitano, a streak stretching back to 2022? Both sides will be fighting for all three points, unwilling to fall further behind their Blaugrana rivals.