Atletico seek to end Real hoodoo in final

Copa Del Rey Final TodayReal Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 21:00 SS3MADRID. Rarely in world football has a major team gone so many years without beating their local rivals as Atletico Madrid.Hapless Atletico have not beaten illustrious neighbours Real since 1999, when Bill Clinton was in the White House and the internet still in its infancy.Moreover, they have only managed to battle out five draws in El Derby, as it is called, since the turn of the millennium.They had a wonderful chance to end their drought three weeks ago, when a reserve packed Real team - in the middle of the Champions League semi against Borussia Dortmund - visited Atletico’s Estadio Calderon.Colombian striker Radamel Falcao gave Atletico an early lead and their great day seemed to have finally arrived. However, with their usual combination of nervousness and foul luck, the red-and-blues contrived to lose 2-1. On Friday they have yet another chance, in the cup final to be played at Real’s Estadio Bernabeu.Neither team really wanted the Bernabeu as the venue. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said it was their turn to stage the final, while Real -for reasons we shall see now - would have preferred Barcelona, Valencia or Sevilla. The whites have a problem with cup finals in the Bernabeu. Astonishingly for a club so successful, they have actually lost six of the eight finals they have played “at home”, the last time being in 2002 against Deportivo Coruna.Moreover, they have lost all three finals against Atletico in the Bernabeu, in 1992, 1961 and 1960. Real are the clear favourites with the bookmakers and are nine points above Atletico in La Liga. Even so, Atletico’s right-back Juanfran, who started his career at Real, said Tuesday: “I am convinced we are going to win ... We know what we have to do Friday.

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Atletico seek to end Real hoodoo in final