Atletico aiming for Madrid derby hat-trick

BARCELONA: Only one team has beaten La Liga leaders Real Madrid this season -- neighbours Atletico Madrid, twice.

Diego Simeone´s side visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in La Liga, aiming to complete a hat-trick of victories over their bitter rivals and wrestle their way into the title race.

Atletico inflicted Madrid´s only top-flight defeat of the season in September, with a 3-1 home win that shook Carlo Ancelotti´s team.

Madrid responded with a run of 21 matches without losing, brought to a juddering halt by Atletico again in the Copa del Rey last 16 in January.

The Rojiblancos romped to a 4-2 extra-time victory to gain revenge for Madrid´s Spanish Super Cup semi-final win against them the week before in Saudi Arabia.

Another win for Atletico on Sunday would mean more than taking the derby honours -- it would help revive their title hopes.

Real Madrid lead second place Girona by two points and Atletico, third, by 10.

Simeone insisted that the previous matches held little relevance ahead of the third clash with Madrid in under a month.

“It´s a different game, as always in the derby,” said the coach after Atletico secured a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

Atletico striker Memphis Depay has hit a rich vein of form ahead of the derby. The Dutch forward has scored in his last three matches.

“Memphis is working very well in the box, he´s very powerful, very strong,” said Simeone. “We have to look after him, we need him and I hope he continues like this because the team needs these performances he´s putting on now.”

Both sides have problems in defence, with Atletico missing Jose Gimenez and Cesar Azpilicueta, while Madrid are without long-term absentees Eder Militao and David Alaba, as well as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Ancelotti said he did not think Atletico had his team´s number after they put four past Madrid in the Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid ‘adulterating’ La Liga: Barca coach Xavi

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez complained Friday rivals Real Madrid are influencing referees “every week” and said it meant La Liga was “completely adulterated”.

Los Blancos lead La Liga by two points from Girona and sit 10 clear of champions Barcelona, down in fourth place. Real Madrid´s television channel has broadcast hours of controversial content this season attacking referees.

“I don´t like that they are influencing referees and they are doing it every week. I think it adulterates the competition a bit,” Xavi, who will leave Barcelona at the end of the season, told a news conference.

Barcelona and several of the club´s former directors were charged with bribery last year after payments to a former Spanish refereeing chief, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

The Catalan club denies their payments of over seven million euros ($7.5 million) were an attempt to influence refereeing. “The Negreira topic has not helped us at all, and that´s a reality -- and this is how we have to compete,” continued Xavi.