Relegation-threatened Cadiz will be looking for their third win of the season when they host Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Fourth-placed Atletico Madrid will look to make it consecutive wins in the league when they hit the road to square up against 18th-placed Cadiz. The home team are looking to move out of the drop zone, while the away team is looking to strengthen their position in the top four.
Cadiz have only won two matches all season long, and they have played out 13 draws so far. As a result, they are 18th with 19 points out of their 27 matches. They are five points behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo and need to string in a few positives if they want to survive in the Spanish top flight.
The home team have been winless in their last five league outings, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. They will have to put up a much better performance if they want to claim all three points against Simeone’s men.
The visitors are currently fourth, with 55 points out of their 27 matches. They have won 17 of those fixture and have only suffered six defeats all season long. They are 11 points behind the league leaders Real Madrid, and their priority at this stage is to ensure they finish in the top four.
The Colchoneros have a five-point buffer over fifth-placed Athletic Club, who have dropped points in the recent past. They can further strengthen their position with a win in this fixture. They are heading into it on the back of a 2-1 win over Real Betis, and a similar performance should be good enough here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Cadiz
The home team will be without the services of Fali, Fede San Emeterio, Luis Hernandez and Roger Marti for this fixture. Meanwhile, the duo of Joseba Zaldua and Jose Mari will undergo a late fitness test to determine their availability.
Mauricio Pellegrino is unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that started in their last outing. It will be a 4-4-2, with Jeremias Ledesma in goal. Meanwhile, Isaac Carcelen and Javi Hernandez will feature as the full-backs, while Victor Chust and Jorge Mere will take charge in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Ruben Alcaraz will pair up with Rominigue Kouame. The duo will take charge in a central role, while Ruben Sobrino and Robert Navarro will feature on the flanks. They will look to provide width to their attacks. As far as the attack is concerned, Juanmi will pair up with Sergi Guardiola, who might be their only change from the last fixture.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ledesma; Carcelen, Mere, Chust, Javi Hernandez; Sobrino, Alcaraz, Kouame, Navarro; Juanmi, Guardiola
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will be without the service of Antoine Griezmann, Jose Maria Gimenez, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Thomas Lemar. Meanwhile, Pablo Barrios’s availability will depend on a late fitness test.
While the visitors will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, there could be a few changes to the XI that started in their last outing. Jan Oblak will continue in goal for the visitors. In front of him will be the back three of Axel Witsel, Gabriel Paulista and Mario Hermoso.
The trio will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino, who will feature as the wing-backs. Rodrigo De Paul, Koke and Saul Niguez will take charge in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they are the ones in the driving seat. In attack, Angel Correa could get a chance to feature in the XI alongside Alvaro Morata.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Witsel, Gabriel, Hermoso; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Saul, Lino; Morata, Correa
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won nine out of their last 15 matches against Cadiz who only have one win to their name.
- The home team have lost six out of their last seven league games against Simeone’s men.
- After being unbeaten in their last seven away league games against Cadiz, the visitors suffered a 3-2 defeat in their previous away game trip in October 2022.
- The Colchoneros have only won once in their last six away matches against teams from Andalusia.
- Cadiz are winless in their last 23 league games.
Player to Watch
Angel Correa
Correa has had limited game time this season, but he has still managed to have an impact when he has been on the pitch. With Antoine Griezmann out injured, the Argentine World Cup winner could get a start here, and he will look to add to his tally.
In his 21 league appearances, he has only racked up over 800 minutes of first-team football. Despite the limited game time, he still has seven goals and two assists to his name. Simeone will expect the 28-year-old to step up and deliver as they look to strengthen their position in the top four.
Prediction
Cadiz 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Cadiz have been winless in their last 23 league games, as they have only won two matches all season long. Things have not really gone in their favour, and they are unlikely to go in their favour in the game against Atletico Madrid.
The visitors might not have been at their best this term, but they are still one of the best teams in the division and will surely give Cadiz a run for their money. They have a lot of quality in their ranks and are expected to easily come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the away team.
