“It’s a struggle of a rich club versus a poor club, of the north of the city taking on the south.” – Orfeo Suárez, a journalist with El Mundo.
Madrid rivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, will be battling it out for European’s football biggest price, the UEFA Champions League, tonight. Benfica’s Estádio da Luz will host this much-awaited final. They will be meeting for the fifth time this season following their two matches in the Spanish Liga BBVA and the two matches in the Spanish Copa del Rey.
It’s David against Goliath all over again; on one side we have Real Madrid, a club with an incredibly huge fan base and a strong economy, managed by the experienced Carlo Ancelotti, who is in charge of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel di Maria, Gareth Bale & Sergio Ramos; then on the other side we have Atletico Madrid, a club that had to sell their superstar Radamel Falcao this summer in order to cope with their deteriorating finances and with a relatively smaller fan base than Real Madrid’s. Atletico Madrid is managed by the young and ambitious, Diego Simeone, a man who manages to get the very best out of his own players.
As they say, big games call for big players. It is no surprise that both teams will be hoping for an outstanding performance by their key players during such a vital game. Atletico Madrid will be expecting their brave and lionhearted players such as Thibaut Courtois, Gabi, Juanfran and, if fit to play, Diego Costa, to guide the team towards a historic title-winning campaign. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Iker Casillas will surely be in the front line to possibly lead Carlo Ancelotti’s side towards the tenth UEFA Champions League in Real Madrid’s history – A POR LA DÉCIMA!
Despite being crowned Spanish Champions, Atletico Madrid will still be considered the underdogs against the Spanish giants, Real Madrid. This "label’ will undoubtedly be welcomed by Diego Simeone. Will the latter be able to surprise those who are sceptical regarding an Atletico win once again? Will he be able to beat a hungry Real Madrid side? Will he be capable in continuing to confirm that money is not everything in football? Will he be able to end this memorable season in the most extraordinary and noteworthy way?
Albeit being considered the favourite side, Carlo Ancelotti and his men will not let complacency take over. They already tasted grief against Atleti during this season. In fact, they lost one and drew the other in the two Spanish Primera Division games. Will Ancelotti be able to motivate his players to win the tenth one in Real Madrid’s history? Will he be able to show the world that it was only a matter of time for Real Madrid to triumph again in Europe?
The rivalry has now been taken to a whole new level. It’s no longer a game to decide who is the best in Madrid, but a game to show who is the best in Europe, and possibly the World. Los Colchoneros against Los Merengues ; Los Rojiblancos against Los Blancos; Los Indians against Los Vikingos. Game on!