As Madrid derbies go, the stage does not get much bigger than the Champions League final, and it will be the second time in three years that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have gone head to head for the coveted European trophy.
Real were triumphant in the 2014 final in Lisbon as they earned a 4-1 victory after forcing the clash into extra time.
Diego Simeone's men will be looking to exact revenge at the San Siro in Milan on Saturday evening, and if successful, they will be crowned European champions for the first time while also denying Zinedine Zidane's team from sealing the club's 11th European title.
Real Madrid
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It is fair to say that Real Madrid are the kings of Europe given that they are the most successful club when it comes to European competitions.
Los Blancos have won a record 10 European titles, and this weekend's showdown will mark their 14th final in the elite tournament, which is more than any other team.
Four months ago even the most ardent of Real supporter may not have felt too optimistic about the team's chances of Champions League glory as they were going through a difficult spell under Rafael Benitez.
The former Liverpool boss was eventually sacked, despite being just four points behind then-La Liga leaders Atletico at the time, but there were rumours of a disgruntled dressing room.
In addition, the club were expelled from the Copa del Rey after fielding an ineligible player, but since Zidane took over in January, the club revived an ailing league campaign, eventually finishing one point behind champions Barcelona and guiding the team to the Champions League final.
The team are heading into the showdown in strong form given that they won their last 12 league matches of the season, but there still seems to be uncertainty surrounding Zidane's long-term future at the Bernabeu.
Working for one of the biggest clubs in world football brings with it an equally large responsibility to consistently deliver trophies, so if Real fail to win tomorrow night, expect speculation over Zidane's future to bubble.
With regards to the players, they are called Galacticos for a reason - the team is filled with individual talent, attacking in particular, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
The highly-paid and high-maintenance stars of Real are in contrast to the gritty and hard-working unit that has been sculpted at Atletico, but Zidane has players that can turn a game on its head.
Ronaldo, for example, has scored 16 goals in 11 Champions League appearances this season, equalling the competition's all-time record of 17 in a single season - the Portuguese star set that record two years ago.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner may have been struggling with injury problems of late, but having scored 51 goals in all competitions this season, Ronaldo is a constant threat, particularly as he has already shown in the Champions League that he can win a game single-handedly - he sent his club into the semi-finals by scoring a hat-trick against Wolfsburg.
The downside where Ronaldo is concerned, though, is that he has failed to break through Atletico's sturdy defence in his last five appearances against the club's local rivals.
The Portugal captain may need to rely on the assistance of a certain Welshman - Bale has scored 19 goals this season, despite spending intermittent spells on the sidelines with injuries.
The statistics sit in Real's favour heading into the showpiece as they have won their last four Champions League finals (1998, 2000, 2002, 2014).
Recent form: WWLWDW
Recent form (all competitions): WDWWWW
Atletico Madrid
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Simeone has played down suggestions that his team are on a quest of revenge. In fact, the 46-year-old Argentine has opted against using the "negative" term and instead prefers to describe their Champions League showdown against Real as a 'new opportunity'.
The Arganzuela-based club have become a somewhat favourite among neutrals as their defensive abilities and fierce unity have outclassed many an opposition.
On top of that, they have managed to break through and join the powerhouses of Spanish football - Real Madrid and Barcelona - by winning the Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in three years.
This season, the team kept themselves in contention for the league title towards the closing stages of the season, but they eventually finished three points adrift of champions Barcelona.
As expected, they topped the defensive statistics having kept an impressive 24 clean sheets in La Liga - only Barcelona came close to that figure, with 18 shutouts.
Simeone may not be out for revenge tomorrow night, but victory will definitely taste sweet if his side manage to overcome their local rivals after falling to defeat in the 2014 Champions League final in Lisbon.
Atleti had the perfect start when Diego Godin scored in the 36th minute, and everything was going to plan for Simeone and his men as the clock ticked down, but Sergio Ramos administered the blow when his 94th-minute header sent the game into extra time, and Real eventually took home the crown.
The club have reached the European final only once before, and it was heartbreak again as they conceded an equaliser from Bayern Munich's Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck in the last minute of extra time in the 1974 showdown.
Luis Aragones scored the only goal for Atletico, who had to replay the showdown as there were no penalty shootouts in the rules at the time, and they were convincingly beaten 4-0 by the German giants.
Atletico's recent dominance over Real, which includes just one defeat in their past 10 meetings, puts them in a strong position heading into tomorrow's final.
In addition, they not only have a disciplined, reliable defensive unit in positive form, their attacking players are also performing - one in particular is Fernando Torres, who has revived his career since returning to his boyhood club.
Following a torrid time at Chelsea, Torres, whose career was flailing, returned to Atletico on loan from AC Milan in 2015, and after not scoring for almost five months, the striker netted his 100th goal for the club in February.
The former Liverpool forward has scored six goals in his past 10 appearances, and he netted a vital away goal in Atletico's 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez and Koke also provide a strong attacking presence for Atletico, who have scored 16 goals in 12 Champions League games this season.
Recent form: DWLWWL
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLLW
Team News
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Real fans will be anxiously awaiting the lineups given Ronaldo's injury scare in training earlier this week.
The former Manchester United star limped off the training pitch on Tuesday, failing to finish the open session with his teammates.
The 31-year-old eased concerns later that afternoon by saying: "I had a little scare, but in a couple of days I will be fine."
Ronaldo is likely to start, but one player who will not play any part in the match is Raphael Varane, who has also been ruled out of Euro 2016 in his homeland of France due to a thigh injury.
Someone who could prove to be pivotal for Real in the final is Casemiro, who has become a stalwart in the team's midfield, providing a physical presence and support to the back four.
Zidane tapped in to the defensive midfielder's talent after he witnessed his first defeat as Real manager, which was a 1-0 loss to Atletico on February 27.
Since then, Casemiro has been a vital cog in Real's machine and will arguably be the first name on the teamsheet when Zidane sets up his XI in Milan tomorrow.
As for Atletico, Simeone's trusted centre-back Diego Godin, who scored the team's only goal against Real in the 2014 final, has had a thigh problem to deal with of late, but will be fit for the showdown.
Atleti have no serious injury concerns, meaning that Simeone will start his strongest XI, which is likely to consist of captain Gabi and Augusto Fernandez lining the midfield, while Koke and Saul are expected to start out wide but drift inside.
Griezmann and Torres could spearhead the attack for the finalists.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Juanfran, Gimenez, Godin, Luis; Saul, Augusto, Gabi, Koke; Torres, Griezmann
Head To Head
As mentioned, Atletico have been dominant over their neighbours for some time having lost just once in their past 10 meetings.
If stretched back further, Atleti have been victorious in seven of their last 16 matches against Real in all competitions - they drew five and lost four in that run.
Both sides have impressive goalscorers in their ranks, but the past four meetings between the local rivals have produced just two goals apiece.
With regards to European competitions, Real come out on top as they have won all three of their matches against Atletico - the 1959 semi-final, the 2014 final and the 2015 quarter-final.
We say: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid
We know that goals have been few and far between in recent clashes between Real and Atletico and another tense affair could be on the cards on Saturday evening. Simeone's side have already beaten their neighbours this season, and they managed to earn a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon in October. Ronaldo not only provides skill on the ground, he possesses an aerial threat too, but Atletico have Godin and Gimenez in place to cope with that challenge.
Everyone will be hoping that refereeing decisions do not become a major talking point after the final whistle. English match official Mark Clattenburg will be overseeing the game, and following his questionable display in the FA Cup final, the 41-year-old will need to be on top form for Saturday's European showpiece. Atletico are on the hunt for their first ever Champions League crown, and their defeat in 2014 could spur them on to victory.
Danielle Joynson
