Chronicle EditorMADRID. – Atletico Madrid meet bitter rivals Real Madrid for the first local derby at their Wanda Metropolitano Stadium today and both sides may need to look for inspiration beyond their usual talismans Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann. Real’s Ronaldo has made a habit of scoring against Atletico, striking hat-tricks against Diego Simeone’s side in La Liga and the Champions League last season.
Yet he has only managed to score once in the domestic league this campaign, the worst start Ronaldo, who was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running last month, has made to a season with Real. Griezmann, meanwhile, has scored only two league goals and has not found the net for his club in any competition since converting a penalty against Chelsea on September 27.
He has failed to score in the last 596 minutes despite taking 20 shots at goal. The France international is seemingly no longer indispensable to his coach Simeone, who has hauled him off twice in league games this season when his side were drawing 0-0. Griezmann has scored four times against Real and said he was not feeling under any pressure despite his goal drought. – Reuters.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter