Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will face off in the Champions League Final for the second time in three years.

Real Madrid won the previous matchup by the score 4-1 thanks to a late salvo goal from Sergio Ramos and then a dominating display in extra time. It was a disheartening moment for Diego Simeone and his troops as they put in a solid defensive effort and capitalized on their lone opportunity.

But that Atletico side had some major disadvantages that this current side under Simeone doesn't. Here are a few reasons why Los Colchoneros will bring the trophy back to the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Health

Remember the big story heading into that match in 2014? Diego Costa and his horse placenta. Costa was the team's offensive focus and his injury blunted Simeone's attack. He had strength and could handle opposing defenses with ease on the counter. But his injury put a dent in the plans of El Cholo and forced him to either speed up his forward's recovery or find a better strategy.

He opted for the former and it cost him, but not as expected. Costa got back in time for the final but lasted all of 10 minutes. That substitutions, coupled with another late sub an injury to Filipe Luis with the game winding down. That was the team's third substitution of the night with the defense worn down and yet another injury waiting in the wings to take it down.

That injury could be to Juanfran who could not be subbed off and was exposed throughout extra time by Angel Di Maria and Marcelo as Real Madrid ran away with the game.

Injury concerns are not an issue this time around and the team's full squad is in solid shape this year. That will allow Simeone to play his aggressive tactics in the middle, which should disrupt Madrid easily.

Atletico Dominance

Since losing the 2014 Champions League final, Atletico has lost just one game against its rivals. One! That game was last year's second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals and the score was 1-0 in favor of Los Blancos. There have been five draws in those 10 games, but there were also a number of losses, including a 4-0 destruction last year at the Calderon. To put it succinctly, Atletico knows how to stop Madrid and has the psychological edge by a mile.

Simeone's Tactics Work Well Against Zidane's

Simeone's team one the only derby since the Zidane era started earlier this season. It was a fearless 1-0 win that saw Madrid's talisman Cristiano Ronaldo turned into a non-entity. In fact, Ronaldo has been rather quiet against Los Colchoneros in the last year or so, scoring just one goal in the last 10 games. He did have the assist on the Champions League quarterfinals goal last year, but Ronaldo has been easy to shut down.

The reason?

The superstar and his team have had little space against a high pressing Atletico side that likes to funnel Madrid's possession tactics to the outside. Once that happens, the team's midfield shifts aggressively toward taking down the threats along the ground. Atletico is not afraid of taking fouls as the choices at that point work to their advantage. A free kick either means a shot on goal into the arms of the impenetrable Jan Oblak or a cross where Atletico is superior in the air.

Madrid has yet to figure out a way to unlock Atletico, but the game plan has often seen Los Blancos play right into Simeone's hands with a slow possession game that lacks urgency or directness.

Zidane could employ differing tactics, but Simeone has shown that he can adjust quickly and should dominate.

Griezmann and Torres

When Atletico lost 4-1 in that final two years ago, Costa was its main attacking source. He knew how to run into space and could easily muscle other players away. Without him however the team's attack floundered as evidenced in the final when Atletico could muster nothing for most of the game. The goal they scored came off some aerial prowess, but was really on goalie Iker Casillas who came out into no man's land instead of holding his ground in front of goal.

This year the team's attack is spear-headed by the transcendent Antoine Griezmann and the surprising Fernando Torres. Both players have speed and finesse that Costa never had. Moreover, Griezmann can make anything out of nothing and has been difficult to handle for Madrid's defenders. He scored the winner in the recent 1-0 win and has topped 20 goals this year for a team that is not known for tremendous offense.

Torres meanwhile has found the fountain of Youth at Madrid and has looked like a man on a mission that can take over a game at a moment's notice. He has seven goals in his last 11 games, the kind of form he has not shown in years.

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