Real Madrid, riding a positive momentum, face Atletico Madrid, currently in a bit of a slump, in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, marking the first of three encounters between the city rivals in less than a month.
After the Super Cup, Madrid and Atletico will clash again on Jan. 18 in round 16 of the Copa del Rey and then on Feb. 4 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in their second La Liga match of the season.
"I don't really like playing against Atletico because it's a very complicated team," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday. "But they probably think the same thing over there. We are two very strong teams, and it's always a tough matchup for both sides."
Madrid have won their last five games in all competitions and enjoy an unbeaten run of 19 consecutive matches.
Their only loss this season came against Atletico in La Liga, 3-1, at the Metropolitano stadium, where the Copa's single-elimination game will take place next week.
It's also where Atletico won 20 in a row across all competitions to tie a club record in a streak that ended with a 3-3 draw against Getafe in La Liga in December.
"For us, it's exciting to play against Madrid," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "It's an amazing rival. We are anxious about it."
Simeone's team went on a strong run after that home win against Madrid, advancing to the knockout round of the Champions League and getting near the top of the La Liga.
But they have hit some speed bumps recently, winning only two of their last five matches in all competitions.
One of their two recent losses came at Girona, the second-place team at the season's halfway point.
The 4-3 defeat dropped Atletico to fifth place, outside the Champions League places.
They sit 10 points behind the leaders, Madrid.
Atletico and Madrid also met in the 2020 final, with Madrid winning on penalties in what marked the first time the Super Cup was taken to Saudi Arabia in a lucrative multiyear deal for the clubs and the Spanish Football Federation.
The Super Cup's new "final four" format pits together the top two teams in the La Liga last season and the last two Copa del Rey finalists.
The other semifinal will be played Thursday between Barcelona and Osasuna, last season's runner-up to Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
Atletico forward Antoine Griezmann enters the game, tied with Luis Aragones as the club's all-time top scorer with 173 goals.
Madrid remain without some of their main players because of long-term injuries, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and central defenders Eder Militao and David Alaba.
Young Turkish international Arda Güler debuted in a Copa del Rey match this past weekend and could have more minutes in Saudi Arabia.
Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham are set to lead Madrid's attack.
Titleholders Barcelona
Barcelona beat Madrid in last year's Super Cup final to win their first title since the arrival of coach Xavi Hernandez and the departure of Lionel Messi.
Xavi's team arrives under pressure at this year's tournament after a series of lackluster performances that recently drew jeers from its home fans.
The Catalan club edged fourth-division club Barbastro 3-2 in the third round of the Copa del Rey on Sunday.
They were coming off hard-fought wins against last-place Almeria and midtable Las Palmas in the La Liga, and before that, they hadn't won in three straight games in all competitions.
Barcelona are third in the La Liga, seven points behind Madrid and Girona.
Osasuna, the surprise Copa finalist last season, also arrived at the Super Cup after struggling recently.
They have won only two of their last 10 matches in all competitions and needed extra time to eliminate lower-division club Castellon in the third round of the Copa on Sunday.
Osasuna are 12th in the La Liga. They have not finished lower than 11th since returning to the first division in 2019.
During the Super Cup, it will be the first time the audio between officials during video reviews will be made available after each match. The procedure will continue during La Liga matches.