LaLiga treats fans to 'The Madrid Derby' watch party this weekend

MANILA, Philippines – As a treat to the Filipino fans and in time for the most anticipated Madrid Derby or El Derbi de Madrid, LaLiga, one of the world’s renowned sports leagues, is treating football enthusiasts in the country with the El Derbi de Madrid Watch Party on Saturday, February 25.

The blockbuster game will be a clash between LaLiga’s top teams who currently have no margin of error on each side. A continuation of a hard-fought derby, this game will set its players and fans alike to remember how tight and close the previous duel was with Real Madrid edged Atlético de Madrid with a 3-1 score.

The Madrid Derby, a special football fixture in the history of LaLiga, will once again highlight the century-old history of rivalry between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid in an attempt to defeat one another. Rooted as a rivalry between Madrid Football Club and Athletic Club Madrid in the early 1900s, two teams first faced off in 2014 for the UEFA Champions League final game.  Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid were the first two clubs from the same city to compete in the championship.

Atlético de Madrid is known for their resilience, especially since Diego Simeone is on the bench. The Argentinian coach will reach at El Derbi de Madrid his 425th match in LaLiga for the Colchoneros club, becoming the coach with most matches for a single club in the history of LaLiga, breaking Miguel Muñoz’ record for Real Madrid (424). Meanwhile, Real Madrid was the champion of LaLiga Santander and UEFA Champions League last season, and it’s considered one of the most in-form teams nowadays with players such as Karim Benzema, Vinícius Júnior, Modric or Nacho.

The derby will also showcase the clash between two of the world's best goalkeepers with Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak proving who has the best goals against one another this season.

In partnership with M88, LaLiga is also bringing its ambassador and former Atlético de Madrid former player Tiago Mendes for a night full of football high spirits. Gates open at 10:30 p.m. this Saturday, February 25, at Mansion Sports Bar & Lounge in Makati. The watch party entrance is free on a first-come first-served basis with games, raffles and the chance to meet LaLiga star Tiago Mendes until the game kicks off at 1:30 a.m., February 26. 

The watch party is among the initiatives of LaLiga to further promote football in the country and rev up the passion of Filipino football enthusiasts.

With the hope to expand the local football community in the Philippines, LaLiga continues to invest in the potential of Filipino football, especially for the youth who excel in this sport.

“We are seeing how the interest for LaLiga and our clubs is growing in the Philippines and especially now is a great time for football in the Philippines, a sport where Filipinos have a great potential. With events like this Watch Party we want to bring the emotion of LaLiga closer to all our Filipino fans”, said LaLiga Delegate to the Philippines Almudena Gomez.

For more information, visit https://www.laliga.com/en-GB.