The first Madrid derby of the season gets underway as Real Madrid, the only remaining club with a perfect record through the first five La Liga matches, visit rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Both these teams have been beset by significant injuries, with Atletico the latest to lose a key figure as Thomas Lemar went down with an Achilles tendon tear. He joins Rodrigo De Paul, Reinildo, Pablo Barrios, Caglar Soyuncu, and Vitolo on the shelf for this game.
Real Madrid won't have any sympathy, as they are winning despite the absence of Vinicius Jr, Thibaut Courtois, and Eder Militao for a decent length of time.
Those Madrid losses have been covered up by the sensational form of Jude Bellingham who just keeps rescuing his new club time and again, the latest being his 94th-minute winner against Union Berlin in their Champions League opener over the week. The goal marked his sixth for the club this year already and was the third time in their past four matches where Bellingham bagged a winner in the 80th minute or later.
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What time does Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid kick off?
This La Liga match at the Metropolitano Stadium kicks off on Sunday, September 24 at 9:00 p.m. local time in Madrid, Spain.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Sun, Sep. 24 | 3 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Sun, Sep. 24 | 12 p.m. PT |
| UK | Sun, Sep. 24 | 8 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Mon, Sep. 25 | 5 a.m. AEST |
| India | Mon, Sep. 25 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Mon, Sep. 25 | 3 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Mon, Sep. 25 | 3 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Mon, Sep. 25 | 3 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Mon, Sep. 25 | 7 a.m. NZST |
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live stream, TV channel
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | ESPN Deportes (Spanish) | Fubo, ESPN+, WatchESPN |
| UK | ITV 4, Viaplay Sports 2, La Liga TV | Viaplay UK, ITVX |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| Canada | — | TSN+ |
| India | Sports 18 | JioTV |
| New Zealand | — | — |
| Malaysia | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, sooka |
| Singapore | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, StarHub TV+ |
| Hong Kong | Now Sports 2 | Now Player |
USA: The Madrid derby will be televised in the United States on ESPN Deportes in Spanish, which is available to stream on Fubo. An English-language broadcast of the match is available exclusively on ESPN's premium streaming platform ESPN+.
UK: Sunday's match between Atletico and Real Madrid will be shown in the UK on ITV 4 and Viaplay Sports 2.
Canada: La Liga matches all season long are available via TSN, with this match exclusively streamed on TSN+.
Australia: Australia's sole broadcaster for La Liga is Optus Sport, who also has the Premier League rights Down Under locked in through 2028.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid projected lineups, team news
Diego Simeone's lineups have been more consistent than that of his Madrid counterpart, but cover for the missing Thomas Lemar will be required after the Belgian tore his Achilles in the defeat to Valencia last weekend. Those duties will fall to one or both of Saul Niguez or Javi Galan.
Rodrigo De Paul will likely slot back into midfield once healthy, but he remains out while recovering from a muscle injury picked up on international duty. Memphis Depay is expected back, but he may not be ready for a spot in the starting lineup.
Argentine forward Angel Correa has been used largely as a bench option behind his main attackers Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata.
Atletico Madrid projected starting lineup (5-3-2): Oblak (GK) — N. Molina, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso, Lino — Llorente, Barrios, Saul — Griezmann, Morata.
The long-term injuries to Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and Vinicius Jr were a blow to Real Madrid, but they have been able to cover those absences with superior depth.
The injury that's most troubling in the immediate may be that to Dani Carvajal, as there was no other natural right-back in the Madrid squad to cover his absence. In his place, Lucas Vazquez has been forced back into a more defensive role.
Carlo Ancelotti has rotated his midfield heavily, with Toni Kroos likely to come in for midweek starter Luka Modric, while a decision must be made on either Eduardo Camavinga or Federico Valverde.
Real Madrid projected starting lineup (4-4-2 diamond): Kepa (GK) — L. Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, Alaba — Tchouameni — Valverde, Kroos — Bellingham — Joselu, Rodrigo.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid betting odds & lines
Real Madrid, sporting a perfect record, are only the slightest of favourites in this match, according to the oddsmakers. They've had one too many close shaves this season, saved only by the late heroics of Jude Bellingham on numerous occasions.
Atletico Madrid, clobbered 3-0 by Valencia in their last league match and only able to muster a draw with Lazio midweek, are still thought strong contenders at home in this rivalry meeting.
| Atletico win | Draw | Real Madrid win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | RMA -0.5 | ATM +0.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +170 | +240 | +155 | -135 / +100 | -110 / -125 | +145 | -210 |
In Canada, bet on La Liga via Sports Interaction: Get the latest odds for the Madrid derby here
