Atletico face early Real reckoning

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is wary of dwelling on the past, but when his side host Real Madrid at the Metropolitano on Saturday, echoes of history linger while the future also looms large.

The Rojiblancos have struggled for stability since their controversial Champions League last-16 elimination against Real in March, when Julian Alvarez's decisive shoot-out penalty was ruled out for a double touch. Their season unraveled after that exit, and the slump has continued into the new campaign.

Six games into LaLiga, Atletico sit nine points behind their city rivals, who top the table with a perfect record. Simeone's men have managed just two wins, with criticism of their inconsistency mounting despite heavy summer spending of over 175 million euros on recruits, including Alex Baena, David Hancko, and Thiago Almada.

"We will have a really hard, difficult game against a side that has been winning all their games and who have a tonne of very good players," admitted Simeone, who this week became the longest-serving coach at a single LaLiga club since taking charge in December 2011.

For Real Madrid, this derby marks the toughest test yet of Xabi Alonso's reign. The new coach has overseen seven wins in seven matches in all competitions, and if Los Blancos prevail, Alonso can match Vanderlei Luxemburgo's record of seven straight league wins at the start of a season set in 2005.

Despite the flawless run, Alonso warned against complacency. "Just by going out on to the pitch it doesn't mean we are going to win. We have to be consistent," he said.

Madrid's firepower has been spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, who leads the scoring charts with seven goals, while Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga have returned from injury in time to feature. Atletico, meanwhile, lean heavily on Alvarez, whose midweek hattrick against Rayo Vallecano lifted him to four league goals.

One side is chasing perfection, the other searching for redemption -- the Madrid derby will show which path prevails.