5 reasons why the Madrid derby might disappoint

#2 Focus might be elsewhere

Atletico Madrid is in danger of not qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages

It's a bit silly asking this, but does this Madrid derby actually matter? It's still relatively early in the season and points lost in this match can easily be recuperated during the rest of the year. The same goes for winning the fixture. You might lose these points somewhere else soon.

For Atletico at least, motivation could be questioned. Their poor results against Qarabag have put them in a very tough situation in Europe. With four games played, there's a four-point gap with Chelsea, who currently hold the last qualifying spot in the Champions League's Group C.

Atletico will have to win both of their remaining games to have a chance of qualifying for the Round of 16 for the 5th consecutive year. They can make the final match day in the group very interesting if they beat Roma at home next Wednesday. If Chelsea does their business away to Qarabag, then the top 3 in the group will be within four points before the final round of fixtures.

What do the fans want more? Winning the season's first derby or getting past the group stage in the Champions League that will give the team a chance to chase another final spot in the competition? And who knows, maybe they have a chance to knock out Real in Europe and have their revenge for all the losses suffered in previous years.

Real, who visit APOEL on Tuesday, has had its own problems in Europe as well. They failed to beat Tottenham in both games and are yet to secure qualification with only seven points picked up so far.