Real Madrid Still Find Atletico an Immovable Obstacle in Champions League Draw

Marca dubbed it "the never-ending derby."

"The Champions League makes it 13 games in two seasons," the Spanish capital-based daily noted, as Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid prepared for their 12th encounter in little more than 18 months on Tuesday, with another one to come in eight days' time. 

"The Madrid derby is living its best years since '59, '60 and '61," wrote AS editor Alfredo Relano on the morning of this quarter-final first leg, citing a competitiveness—once missing for decades—that's been recaptured between these teams.

But it was another point made by AS that really summed up the story between these fierce rivals in 2014-15: "Atletico are the first team who have not lost a match against Real Madrid after playing six official matches in the same season."

Naturally, you must question just how many teams have played six games against Real in a single season previously. But still, it's quite an achievement.

And the record keeps growing. After Tuesday's scoreless stalemate, the figure has reached seven.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

During the build-up to the season's seventh El Derbi madrileno, both managers made a point of being extremely respectful to the other party.

"They're all extraordinary players," Atleti manager Diego Simeone remarked when questioned on a handful of Real Madrid's stars, via Marca.

"We have a huge amount of respect for the quality and ability they have," he continued. "The presence of [Sergio] Ramos, [Luka] Modric and James [Rodriguez] adds to an already impressive side. Including Modric will give them more aggression and presence in midfield."

On the other side of the divide, Carlo Ancelotti knew precisely the sort of scrap he and his team were in for against Los Colchoneros.

"Facing Cholo Simeone is a big honor, but also big trouble," the Italian told Marca of his opposite number, having witnessed all too often how his Argentinian counterpart draws the best from his loyal soldiers when confronted with Los Blancos. 

Looking back now after the 0-0 result, both men got it spot on. They were prophetic. 

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

In the opening 25 minutes, Real Madrid dominated, as Modric, Rodriguez and Toni Kroos combined in a way Atleti hadn't seen this season. Indeed, for the three derbies in quick succession last August and September, that trio were still working through chemistry issues. In the three most recent encounters, they hadn't been together at all. 

Simeone had anticipated the Croatian, German and Colombian changing the dynamic of this contest, and that they did. The ball zipped around, side to side, up and back. Modric consistently found pockets of space. Rodriguez tested Atleti goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Kroos launched move after move. 

With Ancelotti's first-choice midfield in total command, full-backs Marcelo and Daniel Carvajal tore forward, pinning back Koke and Arda Turan and helping to deliver a significant onslaught upon the hosts. 

And as it unfolded and the visitors established complete control, thoughts everywhere were the same: this is a different Real Madrid; this is not the Real Madrid that departed the Vicente Calderon so meekly on three previous occasions. 

The game looked theirs for the taking. 

Yet, they didn't take it.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Real's dominance in general play never translated into something tangible, and Los Blancos didn't rip the game away. Or, perhaps more precisely, Simeone's men didn't let them do so.

Eventually, Atleti got what they wanted on Tuesday—a scrap—and Ancelotti's prophetic words now came to fruition. 

With each passing minute, Real's season-long tormentors became increasingly robust, more fierce and more enterprising.

Whether genuinely annoyed or an attempt to harness his own fire, Mario Mandzukic sought conflict everywhere he could after his face and Sergio Ramos' elbow navigated their way into one another. Then Raul Garcia came on, just in case Atletico didn't have enough feistiness. 

In the middle, Gabi and Mario Suarez found their footing. Flanking them, Koke and Turan got busy. And at the back, Miranda in particular was supreme. 

After a brief barrage by his men, Ancelotti got his "big trouble": the brick wall that is Atletico Madrid erected itself quickly. 

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Whereas chances flowed for Real in that early flurry of activity, the longer the duel went on, the more they dried up. For every weapon the European champions had, their opponents had a shield. 

Thus, though the initial dynamic between the sides appeared to change, the outcome didn't. Real Madrid still departed the Vicente Calderon goalless—the fourth time they've done so this season. 

"I think that we deserved more than 0-0 for our first-half performance," Ancelotti remarked after the match, per Marca. 

And when asked of the scoreline: "It's the worst of the good results," said the Real Madrid boss. 

The problem is that Tuesday's result still equals the best his players have achieved against their crosstown foes this season. For Real, Atletico have become an immovable obstacle in "the never-ending derby."

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