There will have been eight Madrid derbies by the end of this season, no city showdown has been played more in recent years. MailSport looks at the reasons why Atletico Madrid’s meeting with Real Madrid can also lay claim to be the greatest city derby in world football. Opposites attract . The clash of styles is always fascinating. Carlo Ancelotti must accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema and that leaves him little choice but to play a 4-3-3. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema must all be accommodated, leaving little choice but 4-3-3 . Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are meeting for the fifth and sixth time in European competition that brings them level with Inter and AC Milan in number of city duels. Chelsea and Arsenal have met twice, as have Barcelona and Espanyol and Rapid and Steaua Bucharest. It’s a system that leaves Real Madrid short in midfield especially when you consider none of the first choice midfield trio are defensive players. This plays perfectly into Atletico’s hands. Diego Simeone will flood the midfield on Tuesday night as he has done in recent meetings between the two sides and see if his 4-4-2 with Arda Turan, Mario Suarez, Gabi and Koke can’t over-run Rodriguez, Luka Modric in midfield. Atletico’s two banks of four are also very good at closing the space down for Bale, Ronaldo and Benzema. No wonder Ancelotti said on Monday that playing Simeone’s team is always a problem. Midfielder Koke will be deployed to try and smother the Real Madrid midfield during their last eight tie . The coaches . Simeone never tires of his ‘one game at a time mantra’ Ancelotti was on Monday talking about the challenge being not to beat Atletico but to win the 11th European Cup – the complete opposite of one game at a time. This meeting has added spice because it's the chance for last season's beaten finalists to avenge their victors. Borusia Monchengladbach had the same opportunity against Liverpool in 1978 as did Juventus against Ajax in 1997 and Inter Milan against Bayern Munich in 2011. Simeone’s burns more calories on the touchline than some of his players while Ancelotti’s activity tends to get no more anaerobic than opening another packet of chewing gum. The Italian has won the lot in club football, Simeone is on his way to equaling that feat – he has already won the league and cup in Spain, and the European and Spanish Super Cups along with the Europa League. He almost got the European Cup last year but Ancelotti denied him. For as long as the pair stay in Spain their futures will be linked. Diego Simeone raises his players one game at a time and the games against Real Madrid are no difference . Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico boss Simeone often have their careers compared . The Real stars against the team with no stars . When Real Madrid were beaten 4-0 by Atletico Madrid in the league in February it wasn’t the Atletico players who went out partying. Real’s players are the footballing glitterati and Ronaldo’s high-profile birthday bash was part of that. Atletico’s players take great joy in beating their pin-up rivals. Mario Mandzukic, Diego Godin and Raul Garcia are happy to play it ugly if it gets results. Diego Godin and Mario Mandzukic are happy to play ugly to achieve winning results for their side . Goals and golazos . Koke’s thunderbolt shots, the inspiration of Turan, a moment’s magic from Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid are about more than just graft. And with Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema, James Rodriguez and Isco all capable of moments of brilliance the derbies have thrown up their fair share of great goals. Ronaldo and Gareth Bale's moments of brilliance have thrown up their fair share of goals in the game . Atletico Madrid's Turkish midfielder Arda Turan has scored his fair share of wondergoals in his career . Well-matched . They used to hold a sarcastic banner up behind the goal at the Santiago Bernabeu for the Madrid derby. It was written like a classified ad and read: ‘wanted – decent rival for city derby’. Those days are long gone. Atletico Madrid ended a 14-year run of not beating Real when they won the Copa del Rey against them two years ago. Sergio Ramos celebrates a goal against his rivals in the Champions League final in Portugal . The game is a chance for Simeone to get his own back on Ancelotti for the defeat in what is to date their only meeting in European competition. Although some would say with four wins and two draws in the six games in other competitions between the two since then, he has already done that. And they haven’t looked back since. At the start of the season they beat them in the Spanish Super Cup and knocked them out of the Copa del Rey both times over two legs. The one blip in the recent run came when it mattered most in last year’s Champions League final and they will hope to put that right on Tuesday night. Most City derbies have one side up and the other down – right now Atletico as Spanish Champions and Real as European Champions are a match for each other in every sense. Bale celebrates when it counts most as he scores in the Champions League final in Portugal in 2014 .
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet for the fifth and sixth time in Europe . That brings them level with Inter and AC Milan in number of city duels . There will have been eight Madrid derbies by the end of this season . No city showdown has been played more time in recent years . SEE where Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale unwind after Madrid training .