MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet in their second derby of the season with the Liga lead on the line and the focus on refereeing.
Real Madrid has spent the days ahead of Saturday's match complaining of mistakes against the club.
Atletico Madrid has used the buildup to accuse Real Madrid of trying to put pressure on the referees.
Real Madrid enters the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with a one-point lead over Atletico Madrid.
The gap between them narrowed in the last round after Real Madrid lost at Espanyol 1-0 and said it was hurt by refereeing mistakes. The defending league champion took the unusual step of sending a strongly worded complaint to the Spanish federation and the nation’s top sports authority.
The letter sparked widespread reaction across the league, and Atletico Madrid was among those who weren’t happy. The club took to social media to alert to what it called Real Madrid’s attempt to intimidate refs.
Atletico Madrid listed on X what it said were “basic instructions for the derby,” which included good physical preparation, pre-match massages, a thorough analysis of the rival; and finally the “use of your official television channel, again, to put pressure on the referees.”
Real Madrid's TV channel often resorts to videos showing refereeing mistakes against the club, and it showed them again several times this week.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said after the Real Madrid letter that he “absolutely respects everyone’s opinions.” But it wasn’t long ago that he was exchanging verbal blows with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti through local media after he felt Real Madrid benefitted from ref mistakes to beat Celta Vigo and advance to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals last month.
Ancelotti answered by saying that maybe Simeone was still hurt by the losses that his Atletico Madrid suffered against Real Madrid through the years.
Real Madrid planned to go to the courts to have the audios of the VAR in the Espanyol match released, according to Spanish media.
First derby finished 1-1
The teams drew 1-1 in September at Metropolitano Stadium in their first Liga derby.
That match was interrupted for about 15 minutes after Atletico Madrid fans threw objects onto the field. The referee sent the players to the locker rooms near the 70th minute.
“It's always a special match, not just for us, but for them, too,” Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde said. “Hopefully we will be the ones celebrating. We know that we can take a big step forward by winning at the Bernabeu. It’s important to come out strong from the start.”
Ancelotti has problems in the defense because of injuries to Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba after the long-term ailments to Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. The coach has improvised midfield players into the backline recently.
Atletico Madrid beat Mallorca 2-0 last weekend, and both Madrid clubs picked up midweek victories in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. Atletico routed Getafe 5-0 on Tuesday with a brace by Giuliano Simeone, son of coach Diego Simeone. Real Madrid edged Leganes 3-2 on Wednesday with a stoppage-time goal by 20-year-old Gonzalo García.
Third-placed Barcelona, four points behind Real Madrid, visits 12th-placed Sevilla on Sunday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
