La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid will hit the road to square up against second-tier outfit Elche CF at Estadio Martinez Valero.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have been on a 14-match winning streak, and they will look to make it 15 in a row when they go up against Elche for a spot in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
The home team are fighting for promotion to the Spanish top flight, and they have made it to the round of 16 of the cup competition by smashing La Liga outfit Las Palmas 4-0. Elche have been on a roll, winning each of their last four outings. However, the game against Atletico Madrid won’t be easy by any means for the hosts.
The visitors sit top of La Liga thanks to their incredible run which began towards the end of October. They secured their place in this round of 16 fixture with a hard-fought win over Marbella. While they did dominate the proceedings, they were not clinical enough in the final third.
Atletico Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Las Palmas. While the Colchoneros are the favourites, they have not been that convincing in the final third and Simeone would love to see a big win here. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Elche
Eder Sarabia might be without the services of Oscar Plano, who has been out injured in their last three outings.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-1-2-1 formation, where Miguel San Roman will take charge between the sticks. In the heart of the defence, David Affengruber will pair up with Pedro Bigas while Alvaro Nunez will start alongside Jose Salinas in the wide areas.
Aleix Febas and Nicolas Castro will form the double pivot in front of the backline. The duo will have a lot of defending to do against a star-studded Atletico Madrid team. Nicolas Fernandez will sit in front of the duo while Rodri Mendoza and Yago Santiago will feature in wide areas. Agustin Alvarez should lead the line for Elche against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-1-2-1): San Roman; Alvaro Nunez, Affengruber, Bigas, Salinas; Febas, Castro; Fernandez; Mendoza, Santiago; Alvarez
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone remains without the services of Jose Gimenez but apart from him, there are no fresh injury concerns. The Argentine manager will most likely rotate his players to ensure they are fresh for the challenges ahead.
The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Juan Musso will start in between the posts. Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan should continue as the full-backs, while Axel Witsel should come into the side to start alongside Robin Le Normand in the central defensive partnership.
Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino should start out wide in the centre of the park. They will provide support to the full-backs as well as provide width to their attacks. Pablo Barrios and Koke should start in a more central role for the away team. Finally, Alexander Sorloth should start alongside Angel Correa in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Witsel, Le Normand, Galan; Llorente, Barrios, Koke, Lino; Sorloth, Correa
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won each of their last 14 games heading into this fixture.
- Elche are on a four-match winning streak as they gear up to host Simeone’s team. They have kept a clean sheet in each of those fixtures.
- Los Rojiblancos have won 10 out of their last 12 matches against Elche.
- Eder Sarabia’s team have won nine out of their 12 home team.
- Los Franjiverdes have not made it to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey since 1968/69.
Player to Watch
Alexander Sorloth
Sorloth initial;y found it difficult to get going at his new club, but he has finally managed to settle in. Despite being more of a backup and only being on the pitch for 778 minutes in his 18 league outings, the 29-year-old has eight goals and two assists to his name. He is yet to score in the Copa del Rey and will be eager to get off the mark in the cup competition.
Prediction
Elche 0-1 Atletico Madrid
Elche have won each of their last four matches without conceding a goal, and they will surely make it difficult for Atletico Madrid. But, amid a run of 14 wins in a row, Diego Simeone’s men do know how to get the desired result. While it won’t be easy, the visitors should eventually come out on top. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 1-0 win for the away team.
