Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid : Five things to watch for

4 of 6

MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 14: Antoine Griezmann of Atletico de Madrid claps as he leaves the pitch during the La Liga match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Club Celta de Vigo at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 14, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /

3. Atletico’s counterattack

With Real Madrid likely to control possession and Atletico likely to let them, Los Blancos have to be wary of one big thing. That is the possibility of Atletico cutting you open on the counterattack. They did against the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich and Real Madrid could be next.

Atletico possesses a striker duo of Antonie Griezmann and Fernando Torres that rely heavily on speed and long balls over the top. Griezmann should be the main danger man although Torres has seen a revival in terms of getting back his scoring touch. He is looking like the Fernando Torres of old (the one at Liverpool) and it’s fantastic for Atletico to see “El Nino” scoring goals for his boyhood club. The former Chelsea and Milan striker has to be careful to not be baited into any silly fouls as he did against Barcelona, a game which saw him getting sent off before halftime. With Atletico trying to press all time, Torres may be baited into making a risky tackle or two. Both him and Griezmann are crucial to their success and can’t be sent off.

The pressure will be on both Sergio Ramos and Pepe as they will have to deal with the duo. Both are exceptional defenders with Ramos playing like a top 5 defender when he is at his best. If it comes down to someone making a big tackle, expect it to be Ramos.

Next: 2. Validation for Real Madrid?

Home/Champions League