MADRID, Spain -- The eyes of the football world will be on Madrid over the next week as, for the third successive year, Real Madrid take on their neighbours Atletico Madrid in the final stages of the Champions League. Tuesday's first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the return at the Vicente Calderon the following Wednesday, sees the continuation of a fierce local rivalry that has dominated the competition through recent years.
Zinedine Zidane's galactico-filled team are aiming to become the first side to retain the trophy during the modern Champions League era, while Diego Simeone's super-intense side are aiming to cap five seasons of outstanding success with their club's first European Cup.
Never before has one country, never mind just one city, dominated the scene to such an extent. But within the Spanish capital, the immensity of the moment has not yet sunk in, something Jaime Rodriguez, who covers Real Madrid for El Mundo, tells ESPN FC.
"Without doubt it is a unique moment," said Rodriguez. "There have never been so many derbies in the same city in the European Cup. It is really extraordinary and shows the success of two very different, but very competitive models. Madrid is the capital of the Champions League, something for all Madrilenos to be proud of. The people here should realise what they are living through, but I don't know that they do."
Walking around the city, you do not get the feeling that something historic is taking place, says Madrid resident Juanma Trueba, of Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
"My feeling is that Madrid changes very little for these things," said Trueba. "Real Madrid are playing their seventh consecutive Champions League semifinal, and it's a third for Atletico in four years. Since 2014, their paths have met in Europe. There is 'morbo' [regional divisions in Spanish football], of course, and there is always rivalry. But the passion on the streets will not break out until the day before the game."
Diego Torres, of El Pais, said fans on both sides have quickly become used to all this as something routine.
"The excitement has dropped," said Torres. "The 2015 quarterfinals generated more emotion among Madrilenos. Repeating the derbi in the Champions League has made it routine; it is becoming just something normal. Maybe it is something historic that we will not see again for a long time, but people around Madrid just assume it will happen again soon."
Atletico-leaning pundit Inako Diaz-Guerra, of El Mundo, says supporters on both sides would probably have preferred to avoid another European derbi this year.
"The semifinals mean a confirmation that, currently, Madrid is the capital of world football," said Diaz-Guerra. "But at the same time, there is a certain weariness among the fans. Both Madridistas and Atleticos would have preferred not to meet. The fans are a bit tired of it, after four years in a row. So you do not notice too much of the atmosphere. In reality, Madrid only has a real football buzz on the day of a game and close to the stadium."
Real famously endured 12 years of European pain before finally claiming their "Decima" 10th European Cup trophy by beating Atletico in extra time in Lisbon in 2014. But Blancos fans, pundits and even directors do not generally take the time to reflect on how fortunate they are to live through such a golden age. Instead, the current conversations at the Bernabeu focus on whether coach Zidane is up to the job or if the team's aging "BBC" front line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema needs to be replaced.
"There is a feeling that the team has done well in Europe, under-performed in the Liga and dismissed the Copa del Rey," said Bernabeu season-ticket holder Isaac Morillas. "The team has a lot of potential, but the problem is business seems to be the priority. Real fans are never satisfied, and although happy with the recent Champions Leagues won, the fact that we haven't won the Liga in the last few years and that the team has very few Spanish players in the starting lineup is a bit of a dampener."
Before Simeone took charge, Atletico had been to only one European Cup final, losing in extra time to Bayern Munich in 1974. Atletico pundit Fran Guillen says his side are more aware that they must enjoy these days, as they fear things could change again soon.
"For financial reasons, Real Madrid is almost always living through a golden age," said Guillen. "But at Atletico, there is this feeling that we have never seen such an Atletico before. And there is a fear that when Simeone leaves in one or two years' time, the team will return to its previous inconsistency."
Whatever happens over the two legs, the city will have a team in the final again, but Diaz-Guerra says there is no chance of everyone rallying around behind them against either Juventus or Monaco for the decider in Cardiff on June 3.
"There is confrontation in all areas of Spanish life, from politics to sport -- me and mine against you and yours," he said. "So nobody feels proud that the other team in their city wins the Champions League. All Atleticos were with Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals. And all Madridistas were with Leicester. And whichever fans are knocked out will go with Juventus or Monaco in the final, almost as much as if it were their own team playing. And the truth is that is the way it should be -- it is more fun that way."
Madrid might be the envy of everywhere else at the moment, but for most football fans in the city -- especially Real supporters -- this is nothing to get too excited about. It is just the way things are supposed to be.