The Madrid
derby between Atlético and Real Madrid will not involve its 'specialist', Iker
Casillas, the player out of both teams' current squads with the most experience
in these games. The club captain has yet to lose a single derby he has started
in against cross-city rivals Atleti.
He has just
put his name to yet another record. Dutchman Klass Jan Huntelaar's consolation
goal in Real Madrid's Champions League last sixteen first-leg drubbing of
Schalke (6-1) finally stopped the clock for Casillas at 952 minutes without
conceding a goal.
Casillas
achieved the feat with an added difficulty, given that he does not enjoy that
continuity that goalkeepers so need. Carlo Ancelotti decided that he should
share his role with Diego López. The club captain plays in the Spanish Cup and
the Champions League, whilst Diego keeps goal in the league, where he is
currently La Liga's least-scored against keeper.
Ancelotti is
not considering any changes to this formula that is yielding him such good
results, which means that the Atleti fans in attendance at the Vicente Calderón
can breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that Diego López will start and
their worst nightmare will be on the bench.
Out of all
of Real and Atleti's current crop of players, Casillas has played in the most
derbies, 27 (23 in La Liga and 4 in the Cup), and he has not yet lost one he
has started in. Six draws and a single defeat when he has come off the bench,
and that solitary defeat came back on 30th October 1999.
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