Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid prediction 20.09.2026 | La Liga

Atlético's summer and start to the season were pretty much marked by the Alvarez saga. The Argentinian wanted to leave the club but was eventually forced to stay, and the overall feeling surrounding the club wasn't good. However, the saga did not stop the club from having a pretty good La Liga start, considering they sit in 3rd place with 13 points from six rounds. To be fair, they lost the first game of the Champions League to Liverpool, which aren't doing too great in the EPL. Despite the Liverpool Loss, we can call the start to the season a success, and it seems they are slowly getting better.

Pablo Barrios and Alexander Sorloth will most likely remain sidelined with their injuries, while Julian Alvarez is questionable with a muscle injury. However, according to credible sources, the 26-year-old Alvarez is pushing himself to accelerate his recovery. He will most likely be ready after missing the previous two games, but we do not expect him in the starting lineup. 

Real Madrid finished the last season trophyless and brought back Jose Mourinho. Result-wise, Los Blancos started the season great under the "Special One", winning five out of six games in La Liga, while also winning the Champions League tie against Inter (2:1). However, even though the results are great and they have really good moments, there are bad ones as well. Los Blancos have struggled defensively, keeping a clean sheet only against poor Málaga, probably the worst team in the league.

Coach Mourinho should have no new injuries for the upcoming game, but Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, and Eder Militao should remain sidelined. 

After a 3:2 win over Elche, Mourinho spoke to the media. He said they complicated the game, letting Elche get back into the match. The coach also praised the team for their response when the game got difficult, saying they handled adversity well.