Mourinho and Simeone Face Off in Madrid Derby After 13 Years

Real Madrid travelled to Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, 20 September 2026, for a La Liga fixture marking the first managerial meeting between Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone since 2014. The match carried significance as both clubs sat near the top of the standings—Real Madrid second with 15 points and Atletico fourth with 13 points from six games, six points behind leaders Barcelona.

Mourinho and Simeone last faced each other in April 2014 when Mourinho managed Chelsea and Atletico eliminated the English club from the Champions League semifinals. Their previous Madrid derby occurred in 2013, when Mourinho's Real Madrid defeated Atletico 2-1 in La Liga, though Atletico won the Copa del Rey final against Real that year, ending a 14-year drought in derby victories. Across all competitions, Mourinho held a record of four wins, one draw, and two losses against Simeone, with historical data showing Mourinho had defeated Atletico eight times, drawn once, and lost twice across 11 career matchups as a manager.

Atletico arrived after consecutive wins over Real Sociedad (3-0) and Osasuna (4-0), following defeats to Athletic Club and Liverpool. Real Madrid came off a 3-2 victory over Elche, though the match saw them recover from a 2-2 scoreline with a 91st-minute winner. Simeone identified Real's transition play as a key threat, specifically highlighting the pace of Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior. He stated: "They're better in transition than us. When there's a loss of possession, they look for Mbappé and Vinicius; they play to that strength."

Mourinho acknowledged that Real Madrid had not yet achieved the control he desired despite recent positive results, noting that the team required late winners in three matches. He emphasised the marathon nature of the league while pointing to the character his players had shown. Simeone expressed respect for Mourinho ahead of the fixture, stating: "I have huge respect for Mourinho, I've been an admirer of his for a long time, I've followed him and watched him."

Atletico's injury situation included Alexander Sorloth unavailable, though Julian Álvarez was expected to feature after missing recent matches. Real Madrid's only defeat of the season came against Real Betis 1-0, when Mbappé missed a late penalty. The fixture represented a test of both teams' credentials as Barcelona maintained a three-point lead at the top of the table.