Real Madrid arrive at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday seeking a seventh straight La Liga victory after starting their campaign with eighteen points from six matches while Atletico Madrid have collected only nine points in the same period.
The visitors sit two points clear of Barcelona who play Real Sociedad on Sunday.
While Atletico remain in mid table with two wins three draws and one defeat that left questions about their defensive strength.
Simeone’s men are already nine points behind their rivals and lost their Champions League opener to Liverpool which added pressure before the first derby of the season.
Diego Simeone's record against Real Madrid
For Diego Simeone this fixture carries more weight than any other because since taking charge in 2011 he has faced Real Madrid 47 times which is far higher than the 38 meetings with Barcelona.
His record reads 13 wins, 17 draws and 17 defeats which tells the story of balance and struggle across years of duels that shaped his reign.
Last year too, this rivalry had some edge of the thriller matches such as Real Madrid’s penalty shootout win in their last meeting when Julian Alvarez missed after his double touch which still lingers in Atlético memories.
Real Madrid’s danger now comes from Kylian Mbappe who has scored seven goals in six matches and threatens to tilt the balance once again.