Champions League Final Preview - Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid

On four occasions the Champions League final has been contested by two teams from the same country but the 2014 final has gone a step further and will be between city rivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Never before have city rivals met in any European final and it only adds to the magnitude of European football's showpiece fixture.

Traditionally, Madrid is Real's city and their roll of honour dwarfs that of their city rivals both domestically and in continental competitions but Atletico have just been crowned champions of Spain and are currently going through one of the most successful periods in their history.

Atletico have won two Europa League's in the last four years but really gained attention from the footballing world when they won last season's Copa del Rey beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu. That victory laid down a marker that Atletico were no longer willing to play second fiddle to their fierce rivals in Madrid and they built on that by winning La Liga this season. Real were in the race for most of the season but a run of two draws and a defeat in three games meant by the final weekend they were out of contention. Going into the last game Atletico Madrid needed to avoid defeat in the Camp Nou to win their first league title in eighteen years. They fell behind in the first half but Diego Godin scored a powerful header in the opening minutes of the second and Atletico defended brilliantly to secure the championship.

Real will be disappointed by their finish to La Liga but it will all be forgotten about if they can win the Champions League. For Madridsta's all over the world winning the club's tenth European Cup has become an obssession. "La Decima" has been talked about for twelve years now, ever since Zinedine Zidane inspired a Real Madrid side to their ninth crown in Glasgow, May 2002. Madrid have been in semi-finals since that victory but hadn't reached a final until now and for the first time in a long while they are just one win away from La Decima.

COACHES

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)

It has taken Ancelotti just one season to take Real Madrid back to their first Champions League final since 2002. On that occasion Vicente del Bosque was the man in charge and since his departure in 2003 ten other managers have tried and failed to bring Real back to the final. He took over a good side from Jose Mourinho and added to it with the world record signing of Tottenham's Gareth Bale as well as bringing in Real Sociedad's Asier Illarramendi, Malaga's Isco and activated the buyback clause in Dani Carvajal's contract which was put in place when the right back left Real in 2012 to play for Bayer Leverkusen.

In the early part of this season Ancelotti continued with the 4-2-3-1 formation that Mourinho had played. This left Madrid very exposed at the back with the attacking midfielders and striker doing minimal work in defence. The two central midfielders were providing adequate cover to the central defenders but the fullbacks had little protection and this often led to trouble.

Ancelotti realised this was a problem and decided to change the formation to 4-3-3 which gave the team more balance and still allowed the front three the freedom they required. Since the change in formation much more importance has been placed on Angel Di Maria who has been the man to link attack and defence and the Argentine has thrived in this role.

Ancelotti will not be overwhelmed by the prospect of his team taking part in the final as he has won the tournament four times, twice as a player and twice as a manager. His experience will be invaluable to a Madrid side where the large majority don't have expertise in the final of the Champions League therefore he will be able to let his players know exactly what it takes to become European champions.

Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Simeone is one of the most sought after young managers in football today and at just 44 years old you can see why. He has done a fantastic job at Atletico Madrid since his appointment in December 2011 and will be looking to add a Champions League trophy to his résumé.

His managerial career started in his native Argentina with Racing who he has now managed twice. He has won titles in Argentina with Estudiantes (the clubs first in 23 years) and River Plate. He has also had spells with San Lorenzo and a six month stint in Serie A with Catania where he saved the Sicilian club from relegation.

Since taking over from Gregorio Manzano as Atletico manager he has had unprecedented success. His first trophy came less than five months into his reign when Atletico beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the 2012 Europa League final in Bucharest. Winning the Europa League meant a place in the European Super Cup where they dismantled Champions League winners Chelsea 4-1 courtesy of a Falcao hat trick. He then finished the 2012/13 season with the Copa del Rey beating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Winning cups is one thing but the true test is how good you can be over a full season and Simeone's Atletico Madrid have shown the world just how good they are by overcoming big spenders Real Madrid and Barcelona to win La Liga. Atletico's wage budget is around a quarter of what Barcelona and Real Madrid spend annually on players so to beat them is a remarkable feat but to beat them in La Liga and reach the Champions League final in the same season is an amazing achievement. Should Simeone lead Atletico to victory on Saturday he will have beat both his domestic rivals on the way as well as coming through the league campaign undefeated in the four games against his rivals.

Simeone has experience of winning doubles with Atletico. He was a player when Atletico won La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the 1995/96 season but to win the league, Champions League and to beat your biggest rivals in a game that they believe is their destiny to win would be even more special.

TEAM NEWS

Real Madrid -

Real will definitely be without midfielder Xabi Alonso in the final after the Spanish international picked up a booking in the 4-0 semi-final win over Bayern Munich which was his second of the knockout rounds and he will therefore serve an automatic one game suspension. His place as Real's defensive midfielder will go to either Asier Illarramendi or Sami Khedira. Khedira has more experience at the highest level but has been injured for six months and has only just come back in Real's last two league games playing a total of 119 minutes. Illarramendi is the younger option but has more experience of playing in Real's current system and may well get the nod ahead of the Germany international.

Real also have concerns over the fitness of Pepe (calf), Cristiano Ronaldo (hamstring) and Karim Benzema (groin). However it is likely all three will be okay for Saturday but incase that isn't how it goes Raphael Varane, Isco and Alvaro Morata will be on standby to take their respective places should any of them miss out.

The only other selection headache for Ancelotti will be picking his fullbacks. Dani Carvajal and Fabio Coentrao look likely to get the nod but it wouldn't be a massive surprise if he started Alvaro Arbeloa or Marcelo in their usual spots.

Predicted Real Madrid Lineup -

Atletico Madrid

The big story for Atletico Madrid is the fitness of Diego Costa and Arda Turan after the pair were taken off injured last Saturday in Barcelona. Costa looks unlikely to feature after being diagnosed with a grade one hamstring tear, an injury that usually takes two weeks to heal. Costa only has one week but Atletico will give him every chance to prove his fitness. It has been reported that he has been to see Marijana Kovacevic, a specialist who uses fluid from women's placentas to heal muscle injuries. Whether it works or not remains to be seen but no stone will be left unturned in his race to be fit. Turan looks the more likely of the two to be fit and trained on Tuesday albeit not with the main group of players.

Atletico's team is harder to predict until we know the availibility of Costa and Turan and there is even some doubt over the formation Simeone will play. Atletico have prefered a 4-4-2 formation this season but in three of the four games in all competitions against Real, Simeone has favoured the 4-2-3-1. Ironically, the one time he played 4-4-2 was the game they won although that was before Ancelotti changed Real's system.

With Costa looking unlikely to make it back on time Simeone will most likely go with a 4-2-3-1 with David Villa's experience likely to earn him a start as the lone striker. Tiago and Gabi will anchor the midfield and Villa will be supported by Koke, Raul Garcia and either Arda Turan, Diego or Adrian Lopez depending on the Turk's fitness.

Predicted Atletico Madrid Lineup

KEY PLAYERS

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Nobody deserves to play in this seasons Champions League final more than Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored 16 goals in the Champions League this season which is already a competition record. He has been in fine form this season and won the Pichichi award for scoring 31 league goals in 30 games. He also won the Ballon d'Or last year and is undoubtedly in pole position to win it again this year. This will be Ronaldo's third Champions League Final but his first with Real Madrid. He won the competition in 2008 scoring the opening goal in the final but missed a penalty in the shootout although it wasn't to be decisive as Manchester United recovered from his miss to beat Chelsea. In 2009 he was a part of the Manchester United side that lost to Barcelona in Rome before moving to Real that summer for a world record transfer fee. There are doubts over his fitness and he hasn't featured since the 7th May when he was taken off just nine minutes into Real Madrid's costly draw with Valladolid. However, he will almost certainly play and he will once again be Real Madrid's most important player.

Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Costa is looking increasingly unlikely to feature in the final but he is still the biggest story in the run up to the game. He has been outstanding for Atletico this season scoring 27 goals in La Liga and 8 in the Champions League. If he plays he will be a real nuisance to the Los Blancos defenders who have been involved in several wars with him in recent times. He is a natural finisher and has no problems with putting his body on the line to get positive results for the team. This could be his last game for Atletico with rumours doing the rounds that he will be moving to London to play for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea next season. It's easy to see why Mourinho likes him as his work rate is second to none and he could score the goals that Chelsea's current strikers were unable to which resulted in a trophyless season. The will he or won't he play debate looks likely to run right up until the teams are announced on Saturday and while Real will obviously hope he is unavailable the questions over his fitness mean Ancelotti's men will have to prepare themselves for several possibilities as they won't know just how Atletico are going to line up.

Angel di Maria (Real Madrid)

Many predicted that Gareth Bale's arrival at Real would mean the end for the Argentine but he has had arguably his best season as a Real player. Di Maria has thrived in central midfield since Ancelotti moved to the 4-3-3 and ended the season with 17 assists in La Liga which was more than any player in Europe's top five leagues. He also has 5 assists in the Champions League so far which is joint top alongside his team mate Karim Benzema and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. When Bale signed it looked like he would move on but instead Ozil left and Di Maria became integral to Real Madrid's plans.

Miranda (Atletico Madrid)

A massive part of Atletico's success this season has been their defence and Miranda has been outstanding alongside Uruguay's Diego Godin at the heart of the defence. Godin is superb in the air and although Miranda didn't get as many goals he still carried a threat and it could be argued that he is an all round better footballer than his partner. Remarkably Brazil coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari decided that Miranda wasn't good enough to get in his World Cup squad but on this season's performances there have been few better central defenders than Los Colchoneros' Miranda. He is comfortable with and without the ball and will have to be in top form to stop Real's attacking trio.

Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Ramos is considered by many as one of the best defenders in the world and he has formed an excellent partnership with Portugese international, Pepe. He's played his part in Spain's success at international level too and was part of the squad that won two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup. With three La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey's he now needs the Champions League to complete a remarkable roll of honour. The one thing that holds Ramos back is his short fuse. He has been sent off 19 times in his Real Madrid career which averages out at just over 2 red cards per season. When he keeps his head he is as good as anyone and he has played a key role in getting Los Blancos to this Final with the two massive away goals in Munich. Even then though his temper almost cost him a place in the final. Sergio was a booking away from suspension but still put in a few challenges that perhaps should have led to a booking before Ancelotti took him off to ensure he would be available to play in the big occasion.

Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid)

Every good defence needs a good goalkeeper and Atletico's keeper is right up there with the best in the game. Unfortunately for Atletico Madrid he is only on loan from Chelsea and if the rumours are to be believed he is set to return to his parent club next season. The Belgian will be a huge loss to the team but if he signs off with a clean sheet in the Champions League final Atletico will be delighted. At just 22 years of age he has shown great maturity this season and there have been some great individual performances along the way, none more important than his display at Stamford Bridge in the semi-final.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Real Madrid

Group Stage
17/09/13 Galatasaray (Umut Bulut) 1-6 Real Madrid (Isco, Karim Benzema x2, Cristiano Ronaldo x3)
02/10/13 Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo x2, Angel di Maria x2) 4-0 Copenhagen
23/10/13 Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo x2) 2-1 Juventus (Fernado Llorente)
05/11/13 Juventus (Arturo Vidal, Fernando Llorente) 2-2 Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale)
27/11/13 Real Madrid (Gareth Bale, Alvaro Arbeloa, Angel di Maria, Isco) 4-1 Galatasaray (Umut Bulut)
10/12/13 Copenhagen 0-2 Real Madrid (Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo)

1st Knockout Round
26/02/14 Schalke (Klass-Jan Huntelaar) 1-6 Real Madrid (Karim Benzema x2, Gareth Bale x2, Cristiano Ronaldo x2)
18/03/14 Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo x2, Alvaro Morata) 3-1 Schalke (Tim Hoogland) (9-2 agg)

Quarter-Final
02/04/14 Real Madrid (Gareth Bale, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo) 3-0 Borussia Dortmund
08/04/14 Borussia Dortmund (Marco Reus x2) 2-0 Real Madrid (3-2 agg)

Semi-Final
23/04/14 Real Madrid (Karim Benzema) 1-0 Bayern Munich
29/04/14 Bayern Munich 0-4 Real Madrid (Sergio Ramos x2, Cristiano Ronaldo x2) (5-0 agg)

Atletico Madrid

Group Stage
18/09/13 Atletico Madrid (Miranda, Arda Turan, Leo Baptistao) 3-1 Zenit St Petersburg (Hulk)
01/10/13 Porto (Martinez) 1-2 Atletico Madrid (Diego Godin, Arda Turan)
22/10/13 Austria Wien 0-3 Atletico Madrid (Raul Garcia, Diego Costa x2)
06/11/13 Atletico Madrid (Miranda, Raul Garcia, Filipe Luis, Diego Costa) 4-0 Austria Wien
26/11/13 Zenit St Petersburg (Toby Alderweireld (og)) 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Adrian)
11/12/13 Atletico Madrid (Raul Garcia, Diego Costa) 2-0 Porto

1st Knockout Round
19/02/14 AC Milan 0-1 Atletico Madrid (Diego Costa)
11/03/14 Atletico Madrid (Diego Costa x2, Arda Turan, Raul Garcia) 4-1 AC Milan (Kaka) (5-1 agg)

Quarter-Final
01/04/14 Barcelona (Neymar) 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Diego)
09/04/14 Atletico Madrid (Koke) 1-0 Barcelona (2-1 agg)

Semi-Final
22/04/14 Atletico Madrid 0-0 Chelsea
30/04/14 Chelsea (Fernando Torres) 1-3 Atletico Madrid (Adrian, Diego Costa, Arda Turan) (1-3 agg)

Join us live on Vavel on Saturday 24th May for Live Coverage and all the reaction on what will surely be a fitting finale to the European season.