Category World News

Who: Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, September 26, at 4:15PM (14:15 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:15pm (13:15 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Real Madrid have had a flawless season under Xabi Alonso, but their new coach warned against complacency on Friday, the day before his first derby as the league’s leaders.

Alonso spent five seasons playing for Real before moving on to take his team to the Metropolitano stadium to face Atletico in his most recent role, where his team are in top form.

Real have won all six of their league matches, going on to lose to Barcelona, by two goals.

We can’t get too confident because we’ve only played six games and earned full points, as Alonso previously stated in a press release before Saturday’s game.

You can’t possibly believe that the team we have or the badge you wear will win you on the field. The more games we win, in my opinion, the more we educate ourselves to become ready to play any match on any field.

And if we get many games right, we can get a lot of points if we win a lot of them. However, we must not relax because a break can cost you.

Is this Real Madrid’s first managerial trip to Atletico?

Alonso has faced Atletico as manager when he was in charge of Bayer Leverkusen (drawn 2-2 in Madrid in 2022 shortly after taking over the German club and lost 2-1 away last season), but the situation is entirely different.

Alonso said, “It’s undoubtedly different going to the Metropolitano than it is with Real Madrid.”

Because of the healthy rivalry, I believe we can continue to enjoy it tomorrow because it’s something beautiful, enjoyed for many years, and hopefully continues to do so.

How does Atletico Madrid prepare for a Real Madrid visit?

Real Madrid are currently trailing their Madrid rivals by nine points, but Diego Simeone’s Atletico have won two of their six league games, which is not particularly relevant at this point.

Over the past two seasons, Real haven’t defeated Atletico in the league.

Alonso said, “The standings don’t say much at this time.

The match will be difficult, but it will be close, and we could extend the lead. We’ll have to work hard to win at the Metropolitano, which is difficult.

Simeone impressed Alonso, but he didn’t set any goals.

Alonso, 43, who succeeded Carlo Ancelotti at Atletico in June, has been in charge for 14 years.

Alonso remarked, “What Simeone has done over these 14 years at Atletico is very important, not just what he’s accomplished.”

I like to proceed step by step because I’m just starting out. I don’t have any long-term goals like that.

“We will see,” he said, “but there is still a long way to go.”

What transpired last between Real Madrid and Atletico?

Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico Madrid, is infamous for deviating from the present, but when his team hosts Real, it’s difficult not to look both in the direction and the back.

The Champions League last 16 meeting between these teams took place in March, when Atletico were eliminated following Julian Alvarez’s controversially disallowed shootout penalty.

The Rojiblancos swooned for weeks after Alvarez was found guilty of double-kicking the ball, which quickly led to a disastrous season. They may not have fully recovered since then.

STANDINGS | Following matches on Matchday and #LALIGAEASPORTS, the table looks at 6. twitter.com/VlRzyf2ZRB

Can Simeone reverse Atletico’s fortunes?

Alex Baena, David Hancko, and Thiago Almada were among the signings Atletico made for more than 175 million euros ($204 million), in addition to this.

After his team came from behind to defeat Rayo Vallecano 3-2 in a thrilling encounter on Wednesday, Simeone said, “We want to recover as best we can.”

“We will have a really hard, difficult game against a team that has been playing for a long time and has a ton of very talented players.”

What Atletico record has Simeone had?

Simeone took over the reins of a La Liga club this week after beginning his tenure in December 2011 and becoming the longest-serving coach.

Simeone has been instrumental in Atletico’s ability to reach two Champions League finals, both of which were won by Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016 and to bring them two La Liga titles.

Unfortunately, the team has fallen off a high since winning La Liga in 2021, which is unfortunate.

In August, Simeone stated that the team needs to “evolve to the level the club desires.”

What was Real Madrid’s prior to the derby like?

If Real emerge victorious this weekend, Alonso can match Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s record of seven straight league victories at the start of a 2005 campaign.

Superstar striker Kylian Mbappe, who has seven goals in the top echelon, is the main reason behind Madrid’s outstanding results. The France international finished the previous campaign strong and has continued that throughout the new campaign.

What has been Atletico’s biggest difficulty?

Prior to Alvarez’s hat-trick against Rayo, Atletico struggled with finesse in front of goal, which was Real’s lack of. Alvarez added four league goals with his hat-trick against Real.

“Julian is our best player,” said Julian. He stays at Atletico for many years because we need to look after him, Simeone said.

He must assist us, and we must assist him, to ensure that his performance is higher than it is at this time. He consistently makes a difference and is a huge help to us.

When and against whom does Barcelona, the champion of La Liga, play?

Real Sociedad will host second-placed Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, hoping Real Madrid will close the two-point lead.

news from the Atletico Madrid team

On Wednesday, Spanish international Alexander Sorloth received a new suspension while Alex Baena returned from injury to start on the bench.

However, injuries keep Thiago Almada, Johnny Cardoso, and Jose Gimenez from being seen.

Real Madrid team news

Alonso said Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga were fit enough to start after recently recovering from injury and playing as substitutes, but he wouldn’t give any details about his starting lineup.

Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all still out injured.

Starting lineup was predicted by Atletico Madrid.

Oblak, Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Hancko, Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Gallagher, Alvarez, Sorloth

Real Madrid had a starting lineup in mind.

Homes or hotels? Residents of Spain’s tourist hotspots fight to maintain their communities while facing a housing crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delivered a defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), attempting to justify his country’s genocide in Gaza and denouncing Western allies as global criticism over the nearly two-year war mounts.

Speaking at UNGA in New York on Friday, the increasingly isolated Israeli leader railed against the “disgraceful decision” by some Western countries in recent days to recognise a Palestinian state.

“It will be a mark of shame on all of you,” he said.

“Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews, and against innocent people everywhere.”

Netanyahu, who is facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, delivered his speech to a sparse audience because many delegates left the General Assembly hall in protest as he made his way towards the stage.

Thousands of people, meanwhile, took to the streets of New York to protest against Netanyahu’s presence in the city and denounce Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 65,000 people.

“He is not welcome to New York City,” a representative of the Palestinian Youth Movement told Al Jazeera at the demonstration.

“It is unconscionable that elected officials in the US and in New York City and nationally are rolling the red carpet for him”.

Message to Hamas: Surrender or die

During his speech, Netanyahu insisted that, despite the growing international pressure and condemnation of genocide, ​​Israel “must finish the job” in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023, during which an estimated 1,139 people were killed.

“Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure,” he said. “And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won’t.”

Netanyahu’s speech was also broadcast into Gaza via loudspeakers, a fact he acknowledged in his speech, issuing a message directly to the Israeli captives held in the territory.

“We have not forgotten you, not even for a second,” he said. “The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter, and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”

Netanyahu also claimed that his speech was being transmitted to the cellphones of people in Gaza, including Hamas leadership, and he issued an ultimatum that they should lay down their weapons and release the captives, or they would die.

Critics have said Netanyahu’s unwillingness to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza has prevented the captives’ release, with many opponents, including members of the Israeli parliament, accusing the prime minister of prolonging the war for political purposes.

Denial of genocide

Throughout his speech, Netanyahu laid out a familiar narrative, repeatedly referring to the 2023 attack to justify continuing the war on Gaza.

He also detailed the “seven-front war” that Israel had since waged against its enemies in the region. Holding a map titled “The Curse” as a visual aide, he listed off the enemies Israel had dealt with around the region, including Gaza, Yemen, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Iraqi militia.

Netanyahu was particularly scathing of Israel’s Western allies – but not the United States, which has been his country’s staunchest defender at the international organisation and main military backer.

“You know deep down that Israel is fighting your fight,” he told Western leaders. He also claimed, without evidence, that behind closed doors, leaders had thanked him for his country’s efforts in securing the world from “terror”.

Members of the US delegation in attendance could be seen applauding throughout the speech.

Netanyahu denied Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, as a UN inquiry and a growing number of experts have found, saying Israel’s military would not tell them to evacuate if they were trying to commit genocide.

He also denied Israel was deliberately starving the population of Gaza, where famine has been declared, blaming Hamas for stealing aid into the territory and selling it to finance the war.

In late June, an internal report by the US’s development agency, USAID, concluded that there was no evidence of the systematic looting of US-provided aid by Hamas.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu’s UNGA address, calling it “a tired and whining” speech filled with “tired gimmicks.” He also highlighted how Netanyahu failed to present a peace plan to secure the release of Israeli captives being held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium at the UN General Assembly as UN delegates walked out. A further 10 nations have recognized Palestinian statehood, in addition to the other 10 world leaders who have condemned Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Observers claim that Israel has never been more isolated diplomatically.