There was a time when it felt like there were 17 Clásicos a season, and even the most die-hard of La Liga fans would have admitted they had got a little weary. And that's despite José Mourinho's endless attempts to liven them up by being a disagreeable oaf.
The Madrid derby now appears to have multiple slots in the football calendar across the domestic competitions of Spain and also the Champions League, with the sixth edition of the campaign coming up on Saturday. But the clash simply doesn't get boring or humdrum. This is largely down to Real Madrid having a huge mental block in this particular tie, a complete turnaround to how life used to be in the BS days: Before Simeone.
From continuously trouncing Atlético Madrid in a period running from 1999, Real Madrid have failed to beat their city rivals in 90 minutes in the past seven matches. The one ultimate defeat for Atlético in that run was of course the Champions League final that would certainly have the changed the destiny of Carlo Ancelotti, in the 'being swiftly unemployed' sense of the word.
In five meetings already this year, Atlético have come out on top on three occasions with two draws. Even Fernando Torres finds this tie fertile ground, having backed a brace in a Copa del Rey clash by scoring within seconds of the start of each half of a recent draw in the Santiago Bernabéu.
There is something about this Atlético Madrid incarnation that completely spooks their rivals, like a cat facing a robot floor cleaner for the first time; the cat can either ride the vacuum majestically to become an internet sensation or squat shivering on a stair. At the moment Carlo Ancelotti's side is opting for the latter.
The main issue for Madrid continues to be Atlético's aggression and intensity and those Rojiblanco powers are likely to be given a power boost by both Pepe and Sergio Ramos being absent from the back line this weekend. Raphael Varane and Nacho are set to be in place, partnered by Dani Carvajal and Fabio Coentrao, should Marcelo lose an appeal against suspension. This is not a quartet that is well-equipped to deal with the physical force of nature that is Mario Mandzukic or the flying boots of Arda Turan.
The clash recalls one particular affair last season when Coentrao ventured into the Atlético half a minute into the game. A crunching tackle from Juanfran saw the Portuguese beating a hasty retreat into his own territory for the rest of the match. In the set-piece melees that are Atlético's speciality, Madrid are going to be ill-equipped without the physical presence of Ramos, who tweaked a muscle during a midweek league win over Sevilla.
That victory, which also saw James Rodríguez suffering a broken foot and two months out or action, increased Real Madrid's lead over Atlético to seven points. A win in the Vicente Calderón for Carlo Ancelotti's side would completely kill off any lingering Atleti title hopes, hopes that Simeone will claim they never had in the first place.
Another victory for the home side would allow Atlético back into the frame, and give a huge turbo boost to Barcelona, who could end the round one point away from the top. However, that is not guaranteed with an awkward trip to a snowy Athletic Bilbao looming on Sunday, despite the Basque outfit suffering a horrid season this year.
Saturday's fixture showcases the complete role reversal in this tie ever since Simeone masterminded a Copa del Rey final win in the Santiago Bernabéu in 2013 and then clinched the league title a year later. It is Real Madrid who are going into the tie as the underdogs and praying that another humiliating setback is not on the cards, and Atlético who are top dogs.
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