Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has spoken of his excitement ahead of the Madrid derby on Saturday, and also commented on what the match will be like without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Diego Simeone's Atletico face a tough match at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend, but long-serving midfielder Koke, who took part in a conference call with several journalists including Soccer Laduma's Rossella Marrai-Ricco, is looking forward to the big clash.
"Basically, this is a historical derby and it's a rivalry between two teams in Madrid – Real Madrid and Atletico," he said.
"There are two teams here and they are very big here in Madrid, and for us, it's a very special match.
"This encourages us as players to want to go into the game and win."
Koke has weighed in on his opinion about Antoine Griezmann's snub from #TheBest FIFA Men's shortlist. pic.twitter.com/rdaIMrBJdP
— Soccer Laduma (@Soccer_Laduma) September 28, 2018
Asked about Ronaldo's absence, Koke believes their rivals are still capable of posing a threat.
"Obviously Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world but he's not going to be there," he added.
"Real Madrid is still a great team and I am sure they will stay play well. I think it will be a very good match."
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Who do you think will win the derby this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.
