Zinedine Zidane insists Real Madrid are ready to reignite their title challenge as the French coach prepares for his first derby as manager.
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Malaga left Los Blancos in third, one point behind Atletico and nine adrift of rampant leaders Barcelona. But Zidane, who had a favourable record against Atletico during his playing days with six wins from eight matches, is attempting to stay positive, claiming there is still everything to play for.
He said: “Whatever happens in this game, the league doesn’t finish this weekend. We aren’t going to throw in the towel until the very end. There are still a lot of points to play for.”
Real have a poor recent record against their city rivals, with last season’s Champions League quarter-final second leg yielding their only victory over Atletico in the last nine attempts.
They have particularly struggled in La Liga, failing to win any of their last five outings against Los Rojiblancos in a sequence which dates back nearly three years.
The 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon earlier this season is widely regarded as the beginning of the end of Rafa Benitez’s reign as Real boss, as he received a flood of criticism for his supposedly negative tactical approach to the game.
Zidane added: “We’ve had a good week and we are prepared to play a good game. A derby is always important and special for both teams, but it’s also just another game. We have to give maximum effort and continue to follow our style of play.”
Zidane has been given mixed news on the injury front, with Karim Benzema returning to the squad but Marcelo ruled out with a calf strain and Gareth Bale still no closer to a comeback.
Marcelo’s absence is likely to hand a start to fellow Brazilian Danilo, who received backing from Zidane despite an underwhelming first season at the Bernabeu following last summer’s move from Porto.
Zidane said: “Danilo’s in perfect condition. He’s ready, he’s important for us and I’m very happy with what he’s doing.”
There have been suggestions throughout this season Diego Simeone could gradually evolve from Atletico’s defence-first approach to a more expansive style, but the Argentine maintains they will stay true to their values.
“We play in a very clearly defined manner, and we are not going to deviate from that path,” said Simeone, whose team have conceded (11) fewer than half the goals allowed by Real (24), but also scored (35) fewer than half of their tally (71).
And he emphasised that looking after their defensive chores will be the key to the game, adding: “They are a very tough opponent, with enormous attacking potential, and we will have to work hard defensively to contain them.”