At exactly 10:00 p.m. on September 28, at Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium.
In the seventh round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Atletico Madrid.
This was the third match between the two teams this season. The previous two had been in the Spanish Super Cup, where Real Madrid remained unbeaten with one win and one draw and claimed the trophy. Now came the third match.
Both teams had opened the season with six straight wins, keeping pace with each other. That was exceedingly rare in La Liga history, and it had drawn the attention of the entire city to this Madrid derby. The Bernabéu was packed, while huge numbers of both teams' supporters had gathered outside the stadium.
It could be said that Madrid had emptied its streets for tonight's match.
Ancelotti had unusually returned to the Double Defensive Midfielders tactic for this match. Casillas was in goal, with Marcelo, Vermaelen, Ramos, and Carvajal across the back. Mascherano and Modrić formed the Double Defensive Midfielders, while Xabi Alonso had yet to recover fully.
The three attacking midfielders were Hazard, Isco, and Di Maria, with Yang Yang as the lone striker.
Real Madrid had rotated its starting lineup, but that was hardly surprising.
Compared with Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid was loaded with talent and depth, especially on the bench.
The Mattress Makers, meanwhile, stuck with their unchanging 4-4-2 Formation. Courtois was in goal, with Filipe, Godín, Miranda, and Juanfran in defense. The midfield consisted of Turan, Gabi, Mario Suarez, and Koke, while Villa and Diego Costa formed the strike partnership.
Simeone's team had not changed much. They had used this same approach in both Spanish Super Cup matches, and now they were repeating it. The only difference was that Raul Garcia, who had performed impressively this season, was sitting on the bench.