With the Madrid derby on the horizon, the Real vs Atletico first goalscorer prediction market is beginning to take shape and there is plenty of value to be had. Atletico have scored the first goal in the last three derbies which makes their list of options particularly interesting, while on the other hand, Jude Bellingham has made a habit of scoring big goals for Los Blancos this season.
The second Madrid derby of the season is set to take place on Wednesday 10 January in the Spanish Super Cup. The match is being played in unusual circumstances in that it is taking place in Saudi Arabia after the Spanish Football Federation struck a deal with the Saudi Government in 2019 to host all Spanish Super Cup matches in the country.
Ahead of kick off, here are our top three picks for the Real vs Atletico first goalscorer market.
Real vs Atletico first goalscorer prediction – Top three picks
Rodrygo – 11/2
With Karim Benzema departing the club in the summer and Vincius Jr going down injured in November, a lot of the goalscoring expectations have fallen on Rodrygo. The young Brazilian, who is really a winger by trade, has been forced to play up front for the majority of the season and after a slow start, he has shone in recent months.
Rodrygo has scored six goals in his last nine appearances for Real Madrid and is a certainty to start the game on Wednesday. With Vinicius pushing to play alongside him, he should get better service than ever which makes this a shrewd bet to consider.
Jude Bellingham – 6/1
By now, everyone knows about Jude Bellingham's goalscoring exploits at Real Madrid. When he signed for the lcub in the summer, many assumed him to be a box-to-box midfielder who could run a game. No one, other than Carlo Ancelotti, saw him as a goalscoring machine from midfield but that's exactly what the Italian has transformed him into.
Bellingham has 17 goals to his name in all competitions this season and within that are several biggies – including a double against Barcelona and a couple of later winners in the Champions League. All that's missing from his resume this season is a goal in the derby – he is 6/1 to net the opener on Wednesday.
Antoine Griezmann – 13/2
Antoine Griezmann was one of the best players in La Liga last season and he has carried that form into this season. In fact, you could argue that the Frenchman has played better than he ever has done for large parts of the current campaign. To date, Griezmann has scored 16 goals in all competitions, just one fewer than Bellingham which illustrates just how prolific he has been.
Griezmann, alongside Alvaro Morata, has benefitted from the more offensive approach undertaken by Diego Simeone this season and considering Atletico have opened the scoring in the last three derbies, you would be foolish to turn your nose up at Griezmann in the Real vs Atletico first goalscorer stakes.
Memphis Depay – 13/2
Memphis Depay was the forgotten man of European football when Diego Simeone decided to take a punt on him in January 2023. Despite a few injury concerns, Depay has shown his best form at Atletico at times and after a recent barren spell, he scored two goals last time out in the Copa del Ray. Could he follow that up with the opener on Wednesday?
