Champions League final preview: Real Madrid v Atlético Madrid in numbers

A composite team for Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
Atlético Madrid's La Liga triumph, secured at the weekend with a draw at Barcelona, was nothing short of remarkable. If the club were to do the double, with a Champions League final against fierce local rivals Real Madrid in the offing, the achievements of Diego Simeone must go down among the greatest in recent managerial history.
When Simeone, who had two spells at Atléti as a player, took charge of the team in the winter break of the 2011-12 season they were 10th in La Liga. More pertinently, the club were in pretty dire financial straits. Their annual budget is only a quarter of Barcelona's.
In Simeone's first season in charge, the club won the Europa League and finished two points below the Champions League places. They crushed Chelsea in the subsequent Uefa Super Cup final the next summer before finishing the campaign in third and winning the Copa del Rey. If Atlético win the Champions League this weekend, Simeone will have won five of the major finals available to clubs in Spain in less than three years. He could make it six in the Spanish Super Cup final in August.
It remains a big if. Real Madrid will have been disappointed to miss out on the league in a season when Barcelona performed below par. Carlo Ancelotti will therefore be desperate to return the Champions League to the Bernabéu for the first time in 12 years, with a cup double of their own to play for, having secured Copa del Rey glory against Barcelona.
The outcome of Saturday's showdown in Lisbon may well hinge on the potential absence of a number of key players for each side. Real Madrid's Portuguese pairing of Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo have missed recent matches through injury but both may be available, with the latter almost certain to play whether he is 100% fit or not.
While Ronaldo's importance cannot be overstated, Ancelotti will be equally keen that the controversial centre-back is also ready. Raphael Varane is one of the finest young centre-backs in European football but one need only look to the semi-final against Bayern to understand how well Pepe is playing.
The defender was awarded our man of the match award in the second leg demolition job, despite his defensive partner, Sergio Ramos, scoring twice in the game. Pepe earned a rating of 9.83 having made an assist, four interceptions, five tackles, five aerial duels and 11 clearances.
One player certain to miss out is Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard having picked up an unnecessary, costly booking against Bayern. Real Madrid have had to cope without the midfielder on a number of occasions this season, with Alonso having started just 23 of their 38 league matches. The team have won a higher proportion of their games without Alonso in the starting line-up (80%) than with him (65.2%) in the league this season, but they will miss his ability to break up play in front of the back four. The side have conceded 1.13 league goals per game without him compared to 0.91 when he has been in the line-up.
It's likely to be between Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi to replace Alonso, both of whom started at the weekend. With the German having played less than two hours of action since a knee ligament injury in November, the latter may get the nod and the fans will have been encouraged by his display against Espanyol. With 105 touches, a 93% pass accuracy and five tackles, Illarramendi won our man of the match with a score of 8.3.
Atlético's title-winning point at the weekend came at a cost. Both Diego Costa and Arda Turan were injured in the first half of the decider at Camp Nou. Costa has already been ruled out of the final and the Turkish international is a major doubt.
Deny any team of their top scorer and they will struggle, but Diego Costa's 27 league goals this season have accounted for 35% of Atléti's overall tally. When you consider that the fiery frontman has also scored eight goals in eight Champions League games this season his importance is even more clear. The man that's likely to lead the line in his absence, David Villa, has failed to score in his six outings in the competition and hasn't netted in 14 appearances in all competitions since a brace against Celta Vigo in early March.
That only Costa has scored more goals for the club in the Champions League this season than Arda (four) will be a worry. The 27-year old playmaker has perhaps not been at his best this season, particularly in the league having scored fewer goals (three) in 30 La Liga appearances than he has in seven Champions League matches, but remains a key creative player nonetheless.
It's no coincidence that since he joined in 2011, Atlético have scored more goals per game (1.81) with Arda in the starting line-up than without him (1.55). Despite not being on top form, the midfielder has still created a chance from open play more often than any other team-mate to make five or more La Liga starts this season (every 58.4 minutes).
Regardless of the absences on both sides, this will be a hugely intriguing spectacle. It's been tempting to write Atlético off all season and they've proven doubters wrong on every occasion. Their ability to cope with missing men could be pivotal. Real Madrid will be looking spoil Atlético's party, but no result could diminish the achievements of Simeone's side.
All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find yet more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team ratings