What a way to start off Memorial Day weekend, another all Madrid Champions League showdown in Milan. Two rival clubs playing at the full strength of their powers in the biggest club championship in soccer.

Yet although they come from the same city, they featurea complete contrast in organizational philosophy and playing style. For Real Madrid, their midfield is set and the opponent knows what to expect from them. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on the wings, spearheading the attack. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric bring the ball forward to those all world wingers, and the young Brazilian Casemiro is tasked with the defensive midfield duties. It's a formula Zinedine Zidane has trusted, and it hasn't let them down much the past two months.

Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid on the other hand have a midfield that's a little less predictable in their lineup, but have adopted Simeone's pressing, physical style. Los rojiblancos like to press whomever has the ball, flocking multiple players at them in an attempt to recover possession and counter attack. They are a bit like a Premier League team in that they essentially pin their ears back and head straight upfield in attack, getting the ball up to the forwards Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann.

Speaking of Torres, who knows his future with Atlético after the final. At 32, he has looked past his prime for much of the season, before turning up his performance with a string of goals in the stretch run. For the past few years his play has dipped, but he's loved by the Atleti faithful, as he came up through the youth ranks and is from nearby Fuenlabrada, just a short drive south of the Vicente Calderon stadium. El niño officially is on loan from Inter Milan, and there's no word on if Atlético want to make his move permanent.

Griezmann's future is a bit up in the air as well, he's a hot commodity at 25 and turning in impressive performances on the biggest stages. As is tradition for Atlético Madrid, they nurture goal scoring talent and then sell high. They bought the Frenchman for a reported 30 million euros from Real Sociedad back in 2014, and there are rumors that many English clubs are willing to give Atlético a good return on their investment to have him on their team. Among other clubs, Manchester United are reported to be pursuing him hard.

Game time is Saturday at 9 Madrid time, and the city will likely be partying until that time the next day in celebration.

Photo: Flickr