Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid Betting: Why a low-scoring first half looks likely at the Vicente Calderon

Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid Betting: Why a low-scoring first half looks likely at the Vicente Calderon

Our man in the Spanish capital, Phil Kitromilides, belives Saturday's clash will be a tight one with so much riding on it and is backing a goalless opening 45 minutes

This sixth Madrid derby of the season is without doubt the most crucial meeting between these two cross-city rivals, and things are fascinatingly poised ahead of Saturday's game at the Vicente Calderon. 

Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Sevilla moved Real Madrid seven points clear of Atleti, although it came at a price, with both Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez picking up injuries which will rule them out of competing for los Blancos any time soon. 



The good news for Carlo Ancelotti is that Cristiano Ronaldo returns from a two-match suspension for the trip to the Calderon and Madrid are in need of a big performance from the planet's best player. 

The footballing world has enjoyed five Madrid derbies this season and Ancelotti's men are yet to taste victory, suffering three defeats and succumbing to two draws. 

It might be surprising therefore to find Atleti priced as the outsiders at 2/1 (3.00) with Paddy Power, with Madrid available at 13/10 (2.30) and the draw offered at 12/5 (3.40). There will be plenty of punters rushing to back a home win, especially given Madrid's injury problems (Modric and Pepe are also missing for the European champions) as well as the fact that los Blancos played midweek while the champions have had the last six days to prepare for the game. 

Yet this Madrid side is resilient and they know a draw is not a bad result in the context of the season. Atletico, meanwhile, will be well aware that a defeat would leave them 10 points off the pace, all but ending their hopes of defending their La Liga title. All this, therefore, means that we could be in for a tight game and the price of 15/8 (2.88) for a goalless first half is appealing. 



This may seem a risky selection given that recent derbies have seen first-half goals, but this particular fixture will have a little more riding on it, making it even more keenly contested. Furthermore, both Atletico and Madrid fans would admit that their respective teams do not tend to start 16:00CET kick-offs in the most intense fashion. 

This bet paid out in the last meeting between these two sides at the Calderon, last month in the Copa del Rey, and is a shrewd selection for Saturday's game given the wider context of the clash.