Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the La Liga meeting between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Bernabeu. The visitors make the cross-city journey trailing their neighbours by 10 points at the top of the table, with their slim hopes of title success hanging in the balance. A second league triumph in the space of a few years is unlikely, then, but they would love nothing more than to derail Real's bid for a rare success of their own.

Los Blancos have lost each of the last three Madrid derby showdowns on home soil and know that anything less than three points today will open the door for Barcelona to pounce. We will see Barca in action later today against Malaga at La Rosaleda, but they may head into that clash in Andalusia with a psychological blow to recover from should Real come out on top in the weekend's big match in the Spanish top flight.

TEAM NEWS!

REAL MADRID XI: Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

ATLETICO MADRID XI: Oblak; Juanfran, Godin, Savic, Filipe Luis; Gabi, Koke, Saul, Carrasco; Griezmann, Torres

Starting with a look at the home team, manager Zinedine Zidane has inevitably reverted back to his strongest possible XI. Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema - the famed BBC strike partnership - were all left out for the 4-2 win at Leganes in midweek, with the Frenchman making the most of his strength in depth in this impressive squad. They will be fit and ready this afternoon, then, with all three restored to the starting lineup.

Raphael Varane is the big absentee from the home side this afternoon, having returned to action in that straightforward win at the Estadio Municipal de Butorque, only to leave the field after 10 minutes due to a fresh injury problem that is now expected to keep him out of action for a further month. Pepe, likely to leave the Spanish capital this summer for pastures new, is therefore handed another start alongside key defender Sergio Ramos.

There was debate to be had over who would start in central midfield for Real this afternoon, with Isco doing well when called upon this term but again overlooked today in favour of Casemiro. Toni Kroos, another rested in midweek, also takes up a spot in a three-man midfield, alongside the mercurial genius that is Luka Modric. Perhaps the most unfortunate player to miss out this afternoon is Alvaro Morata, however, who again found the net twice last time out when given a chance to shine - 11 goals now for him this season in 20 appearances.

Switching attention to the visiting side now, boss Diego Simeone has also opted to go with his strongest available group of players, despite that Champions League quarter-final with Leicester City being just four days away. No Kevin Gameiro today due to the recurrence of an injury in training on Friday, so Fernando Torres joins key man Antoine Griezmann in attack in what is essentially a 4-4-2 formation.

Sime Vrsaljko, Tiago Mendes and Augusto Fernandez are also absent for the visitors, as is back-up keeper Miguel Angel Moya. Still a very strong Atleti side fielded by Simeone, with the inclusion of Griezmann up top - two goals in his last three La Liga meetings at the Bernabeu, scoring for both Atletico and former club Real Sociedad - arguably the biggest obstacle between Real and a healthy five-point advantage at the summit come 5pm this afternoon.

For all Griezmann's success in front of goal once again this term, it is at the other end of the field where this Atletico side particularly thrive. Stefan Savic and Diego Godin have played their part in shutting out the opposition an unrivalled 16 times this season, and another clean sheet today could seriously derail their city rivals' bid to lift a first La Liga title since 2012. Filipe Luis and Juanfran occupy the full-back berths, meanwhile, and Jan Oblak is between the sticks.

BENCH WATCH!

REAL MADRID SUBS: Casilla, Nacho, James Rodriguez, Kovacic, Vazquez, Morata, Isco

ATLETICO MADRID SUBS: Moreira, Lucas, Gimenez, Thomas, Cerci, Rober, Correa

James Rodriguez, Morata, and Isco were always likely to be temporary options for the midweek trip to Leganes, with Zidane reverting back to his strongest side after making nine changes last time out. They are the key players on Los Blancos' bench and could well play a part at some stage should the 11 starters fail to break down the visitors - they would not be the first to fall short this term! Atleti minus Gameiro this afternoon due to the injury picked up in training 24 hours ago.

No real surprise to see Zinedine Zidane turn to his famed front-three trio of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo for this afternoon's huge Madrid derby showdown in the Spanish capital. Lucas Vazquez, Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio are the men to make way from the weakened side that saw off Leganes 4-2 in midweek, with that victory keeping Los Blancos' slim advantage at the top intact.

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Real start this latest round of La Liga action with a two-point margin on second-placed Barcelona and 10 in front of Atletico, having played one game fewer than their two closest challengers. Zidane's men have shown no real sign of slipping up of late in pursuit of their first title in five years, winning five games in a row and six of their last seven in the Spanish top flight to keep their rivals at arm's length heading into the final run-in.

Los Blancos have dropped points just once since defeat to Valencia on February 22, in fact - a thrilling 3-3 draw with Las Palmas here that felt like a win in many ways after scoring twice in the final stages to rescue a point. Madrid have scored 15 times and conceded just five in their most recent unbeaten run of form, which now stretches back a month. Credit must go to Barcelona for not giving up and consistently picking up wins of late, but Real have yet to flinch at the top.

In all competitions it is now 12 win in 15 for Real, as they have not only maintained their lead at the top of La Liga but also made it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Success in the European Cup in synonymous with Los Blancos, the 11-time champions of the competition, though after dominating on the continent over the past few years fans would likely prioritise success in the Spanish top flight if given the choice. Five years with no league title is not good enough.

Real will take on Bayern Munich in one of a number of tasty-looking last-eight ties in the Champions League, with the first leg to come just a few days from now. Due to the tight margin in La Liga there is no chance of Zidane rotating heavily for these big matches, hence why he used that meeting with Leganes in midweek as a chance to bring in some fringe players. Any sort of slip-up now could well prove costly, particularly with Barca to come in two weeks' time.

As well as taking on Barcelona in that truly massive El Clasico showdown later this month, Los Blancos also face fourth-placed Sevilla before the season is out. That said it is essentially this meeting with Atleti that is their toughest remaining fixture if recent history is anything to go by, due to that shocking league record against their near neighbours on home soil - three games, three defeats since 2014-15.

Zidane's men have now netted in 41 consecutive league fixtures and have 78 for the season, which is 10 fewer than Barcelona but a whopping 23 more than next best Atletico. Defensively speaking things do not look quite as impressive, however, as they have conceded 30 times in all and kept 12 clean sheets in 29 games, putting them behind three other teams in that regard. Atletico lead the way, in case you needed reminding, with an incredibly strong record.

Rather ominously, though, it was Atletico - with 16 clean sheets to their name in 2016-17 - who last shut out Real in a league match; that coming on February 27 last year. That means Atleti are, incredibly, the only side to stop their rivals from scoring on their own since Zidane took charge of the club midway through last season. Zidane will also need no reminding that the only loss suffered at the Bernabeu in his stint as manager came in that meeting with Atletico 14 months ago.

Zinedine Zidane is heading for a first league title in his first full campaign as Real Madrid manager. The Frenchman, a legendary player here before hanging up his boots, has tasted just one La Liga defeat here since taking charge of the club - a now customary loss to Atletico Madrid in February last year. The gap on second-placed Barcelona stands at two points, with one game in hand still left to play.

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City rivals Atletico make the short trip to the Bernabeu in a fine run of form themselves, having also won five games in succession in the top flight. That has taken them from fourth place and into third, above a stuttering Sevilla side in the race for a top-three finish. Putting pressure on the top two is extremely unlikely, in truth, though victory today and dropped points for both sides in the upcoming Clasico and who knows?

The Rojiblancos made a slow start to the season, winning just two of their first five matches - albeit with a well-earned draw at Camp Nou during that run - and would struggle further heading into the winter break by losing four times in the space of seven games. One loss in 13 since returning to action is certainly more like the Atletico we have come to know under the watch of Simeone, with the Argentinian to thank for completely transforming their fortunes in recent years.

It is also just that one solitary loss in their last 15 games going back into December in a run that includes 11 wins and three draws; five of those victories coming in their most recent outings. They are currently joint-top with Real at the top of the form table over the past month, taking into account the past six matches, and have successfully caught up with Sevilla and since overtaken them thanks in large to a 3-1 win in last month's meeting.

During this five-match winning run, Atletico have kept four clean sheets - Sevilla ace Joaquin Correa the only player to score against them in the past two months. They cannot be completely ruled out of the title race at this stage, then, with the 10-point deficit to make up certainly not insurmountable, but only three points will do this afternoon if they are to achieve that unlikely feat and pull off another shock triumph.

Simeone's men also stormed through to the knockout stages of the Champions League prior to Christmas and have since convincingly overcome Bayer Leverkusen, earning a 4-2 aggregate victory to set up that upcoming double-header with Leicester over the next 10 days. The semi-final defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey a couple of months back is now firmly out of the system, with Atleti's main priority now success on the continent.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Real Madrid have beaten Atletico Madrid 86 times in La Liga - their best record against any side. They have won only two of the past 12 encounters overall in normal time, however, including a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the Vicente Calderon earlier this season. These two teams have also faced off in two of the past three Champions League finals - Los Blancos prevailing in both, the most recent on penalties 11 months ago.

DID YOU KNOW? Atletico Madrid are the only side in La Liga history to win at the Bernabeu three visits in a row, coming on the back of a previous run of four defeats in succession between 2009 and 2013. Diego Simeone has won more games at this famous ground than any other previous Rojiblancos boss, meanwhile, coming out on top on four occasions.

With kickoff at the Estadio Bernabeu now less than 10 minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Zinedine Zidane: "I am not preparing anything. All I am focused on is what's left of the season. You know the stature of this club, I know it too, and I know what it means to coach Real Madrid, for better or for worse. I am ready for anything and that is why I only speak about the next game, that is all I am interested in. The important game is tomorrow, there are three points to play for. I don't know what will happen beyond that."

Diego Simeone: "It is like going to any other ground. We want the three points wherever we go. We are expecting an opponent that comes out strongly, with high pressure and tempo in the first 20-25 minutes. With BBC, and I imagine they will play Isco, they will have more possession than if Casemiro featured. It is the same as playing at any ground, we always want the three points - we need them for our own objectives."

Zidane may not have been a manager for all that long, but already he has got his pre-match comments down to a t, claiming that he will take it one game at a time. You cannot blame the Frenchman for that, in fairness, because Real really cannot afford to take their eye off the table at this late stage in the season. They have Atletico, Barcelona and Sevilla to face in the league, as well as Bayern Munich - twice - in the Champions League in the coming weeks.

Simeone playing down his side's hugely impressive record in this fixture in recent years, meanwhile, insisting that this game is no different to any other. The Argentinian wrongly predicted that Isco would start over Casemiro in central midfield, citing Real's hopes of dominating possession as a key reason why. Atletico will not mind sitting back and soaking up the pressure today, though, as they seek a fourth league win in a row here.

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KICKOFF! We are officially up and running at the Estadio Bernabeu. Atletico Madrid unchanged from their last outing, with Kevin Gameiro unable to return from injury in time for this one, while Real Madrid go with seven changes as they revert back to their strongest available XI.

CLOSE! A superb delivery into the box from Koke out on the the left-hand side, picking out Saul Niguez towards the back post. Not a great deal of contact made with the ball via his head and it skidded out for a goal kick.

Both sides have made a bright star to the match, but it is the visitors who fashioned the best opening yet with that headed chance for Saul Niguez. Bale almost picked out around the back soon after but the Oblak read it well and was quickly out.

Torres with a nice bit of skill on the edge of the area, but he cannot quite bring it under control to get a shot away. Los Blancos not really done an awful lot in the final third in these opening seven minutes or so.

Another free kick won in a dangerous crossing position for Atletico, which is this time headed well clear on the penalty spot. One full-time result to bring you from elsewhere today - Pablo Piatti scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win for Espanyol against Alaves.

Real enjoying more possession of the ball in the past couple of minutes but are struggling to find any real rhythm. Atletico have not fared all that much better but they have looked the livelier on the whole early on.

SAVE! Superb stop from Oblak down to his bottom right. Ronaldo has barely had a sight of goal so far, but he unleashed from 20 yards out with a shot that looked destined for the bottom corner if not for the Slovenian's sprawling save.

Ronaldo wins a free kick a good 40-45 yards from goal and appears ready to take it on. He shaped up ready to blast it but then delicately chipped it in at the last moment, but Atleti were able to clear their lines.

Modric is given a little too much space and has a pop from range, with his attempt taking a deflection on its way over the bar. Carrasco then slotted it through for Griezmann, who hit the post with his shot but was flagged for offside regardless.

We are approaching the quarter-way mark in this Madrid derby and it is fair to say it has been a little tense so far. A decent early chance for Saul Niguez went begging and Ronaldo has had one belter kept out by Oblak.

A cross from the right is crying out for Griezmann to meet with his head at the front post, but he fails to do so and Navas is there to punch clear. Still awaiting the first clear-cut opening of the afternoon, with 21 minutes now played.

Marcelo appears to be seeing more of the ball down the left-hand flank than any other player at the moment, without doing a great deal with it. A nice piece of trickery a few moments ago but it ultimately came to little.

Saul Niguez has the ball at his feet 25 yards from goal with Filipe Luis outside waiting to be played in, as well as Griezmann to his right, but he takes the wrong option by shooting and sending the ball high into the stands.

SAVE! Wonderful play from Real - the best attacking move of the match so far by some distance. Benzema and Ronaldo exchange passes in the box and the former has a clean shot on goal, which Oblak was equal to with a strong hand.

OFF THE LINE! The chances starting to come regularly for the hosts now, as Ronaldo is slotted through and blasts the ball past Oblak, only for Savic to incredibly clear the ball off the line with a diving header.

CHANCE! Not quite sure how Real are not ahead after a succession of big chances. Bale has barely had a touch of the ball so far but his glanced header inside the box needed stopping down low by Oblak to keep us level.

More than a third of the way through the game now and Real are really starting to build up some momentum, coming close a number of times in quick succession. One off the line and a few big saves from the impressive Oblak.

A quieter spell in the match now as Atletico look to take the sting out of things. A replay has just been shown of Savic's headed clearance off the line, which really was incredible - superb defending from the former Man City defender.

YELLOW CARD! Casemiro is penalised for his challenge in midfield, meaning that he is now walking a tightrope for the remaining 53 minutes of this match. Atleti unable to create anything from the subsequent free kick.

SAVE! Welcome to the match, Antoine Griezmann! A sloppy pass in midfield in pounced on by the striker, who ran at the opposition box and fired a little earlier than expected, forcing a big save down low out of Navas.

Godin gets his head to the well-taken corner but cannot direct it on Navas's goal from close range. A fairly slow start to this Madrid derby but chances and shots galore over the past 15 minutes or so at the Estadio Bernabeu.

Fast approaching half time in the Spanish capital and there is nothing to separate the two teams. Real deserve to be ahead after creating a few big openings, though that said Griezmann came close to opening the scoring a few minutes ago.

Ronaldo very nearly getting the ball under control at the back post when picked out. No added time to come at the end of the first half, so that will likely be the last chance either side has of opening the scoring.

The half-time whistle sounds at the Estadio Bernabeu, bringing the end to an opening 45 minutes that provided us with a few decent openings. Real Madrid will perhaps feel that they deserve to be ahead at the break, with Jan Oblak pulling off a couple of big stops and Stefan Savic saving off the line, but Atletico Madrid have themselves created one or two chances.

Had Saul Niguez been more accurate from his close-range header three minutes in, Atletico would have had a dream start on enemy territory, with that proving to be a rare first-half opening for the visitors. Real took time to truly get going but they soon found their rhythm, testing Jan Oblak for the first time 15 minutes in through a well-struck strike from Cristiano Ronaldo 25 yards out.

Karim Benzema exchanged passes with Ronaldo inside the box soon after and was presented with a clean shot on goal, which Oblak - with four clean sheets in his last five outings - was again equal to with a strong hand. The hosts were really beginning to step things up a quarter of the way into the contest, seeing a Ronaldo shot acrobatically headed clear off the line by Stefan Savic and Gareth Bale's deft header stopped down low by Oblak in quick succession.

That spell of dominance did not last too long, however, and once Antoine Griezmann pounced on a sloppy pass in midfield he would have fancied his chances of running half the length of the field and slotting away, only to fall just short due to Keylor Navas's big stop. Real looked the sharper of the two sides for large parts of the opening 45 minutes, largely due to the eight changes made by Zinedine Zidane from the weakened side that saw off Leganes in midweek, compared to Diego Simeone who stuck with the same XI from his side's last outing.

With that previous point in mind, could we see Atletico boss Simeone make a change at the midway point? Unlikely, in truth, because his side are on level terms and may even have nicked a goal shortly before the break through that Griezmann chance.

REAL MADRID SUBS: Casilla, Nacho, James Rodriguez, Kovacic, Vazquez, Morata, Isco

ATLETICO MADRID SUBS: Moreira, Lucas, Gimenez, Thomas, Cerci, Rober, Correa

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RESTART! We are back under way at the Estadio Bernabeu, and there is news of a chance just a minute or so into the second half. Marcelo lofted the ball into the box and Ronaldo met it in trademark style with his head, but failed to pick out the far corner.

SAVE! Real have come out the stronger side in this second half and have created another big chance, this time for Benzema. Ronaldo peeled away unmarked at the back post and picked out Benzema just a few yards out, but Oblak superbly kept it out.

Atletico all over the place at the moment, as they constantly give the ball away and struggle to hold their line. Real just need to keep this momentum going because at this rate they will break down their opponents' wall in the next 10 minutes.

Real get the goal that they deserve, finding a way past Oblak through a brilliant Pepe header. Kroos sent a free kick into a dangerous position, and the Portuguese was there to meet it around 10 yards out for the key opening goal.

CHANCE! Just complete dominance from Real in this second half, as they continue to press for a second. Bale's delivery from the right is only half-cleared, with Carvajal miscuing over the bar from the follow-up.

SHOT! Atletico just have not got going since the restart. A shot from range down the middle pretty much out of nowhere may just be what they need to spark back into life. Still plenty of time in this match to get a goal or two!

SAVE! A potentially huge moment not just in this match but in the title race, as Torres is slipped through on goal but denied by the outrushing Navas. Should have scored; Atletico should be level at the Bernabeu!

YELLOW CARD! Godin is the second Atletico player to be booked, as Simeone makes the first change of the afternoon. Correa on for Saul Niguez which will mean a slight reshuffle in midfield as Atleti go in search of a leveller.

Pretty relentless stuff in this second half but an injury to Pepe, who collided with teammate Kroos, has given both teams a chance to catch their breath. Real had been dominant since the restart, though Torres really should have levelled things up moments ago.

REAL MADRID SUB! After a short break in play Pep decides that he can no longer continue following that collision with Kroos. The goalscorer is replaced by Nacho for the final 25 minutes of this Madrid derby.

Good play from Carrasco initially, but he then failed to pick out Correa in a good position with a poor final ball. Approaching the final 20 minutes in the Spanish capital and all of a sudden it is a more evenly-matched contest.

Simeone will be pleased with the way his side have performed in the past five minutes or so, as it is now they who are seeing more of the ball in dangerous areas. No chances for either side since that Torres miss.

Marcelo's cross lacked quality, aimed at nobody in particular. Ronaldo, as ever, still managed to get on the end of it and looked to hook it into the mix with his head, but it was cleared away before a teammate could react.

Bale goes for glory 17 minutes from time but drags his attempt wide from just inside the box. Marcelo was picked out from the next attacking move but sent his volley narrowly wide of the target - decent attempt from the full-back.

Unbelievable acrobatic effort from Griezmann, who tested Navas with an overhead kick 12 yards from goal. The offside flag went up, however, with replays showing that it was the correct call made by the officials.

SUBS! The finishing line is now in sight for Los Blancos, as they turn to central midfielder Isco in place of Kroos for the final stages of this tight match. Atletico also make their second alteration, bringing on Partey for Torres.

The chances have dried up at the Estadio Bernabeu since Torres had a one-on-one attempt saved by Navas nearly 20 minutes ago. Real looking the brighter again but not doing enough to truly strengthen their small advantage.

REAL MADRID SUB! Zidane just breaking up play at the moment by making a second - and final - change in the space of a few minutes. Bale is off for Lucas, having failed to do a great deal in his 80 minutes on the pitch.

Still plenty of time for Atletico to snatch a point here, which would not stop Real from relinquishing top spot today but would give Barcelona serious incentive in their meeting with Malaga in Andalusia later this evening.

Real thought they had done enough to end this recent home curse against Atleti, but that can never be a certainty when the opposition has a player of Griezmann's quality in their ranks. The Frenchman was left one-on-one with Navas and tucked into the bottom corner.

YELLOW CARDS! Delay tactics from Koke leads to him getting a yellow card, moments after Carvajal entered the referee's book for a challenge. Carrasco now off and Gimenez is on in his place for the remainder.

We are into the early stages of added time in the Spanish capital, with Real now just four minutes away from seeing their title bid halted by their rivals. They just cannot seem to beat Atletico on home soil in La Liga!

Two minutes have now passed and Atletico are forming a solid shape at the back that they are now famous for. Should it remain like this then Real can be caught on 72 points by Barcelona later tonight, albeit with a game in hand to play.

What a truly huge day this could be at the top of La Liga. Real Madrid were five points clear with a game in hand heading into the final five minutes, until Antoine Griezmann tucked the ball past Keylor Navas to earn Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw. Now, Barcelona could draw level on 72 points with their rivals with victory at Malaga in a few hours' time.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events in the Spanish capital. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from that aforementioned clash between Malaga and Barcelona will be under way in the next 90 minutes or so. Catch you for that match, which has now taken on even more significance!