Atletico Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against Espanyol on Saturday afternoon.
Espanyol will be looking to stay out of the drop zone with a positive result against Atletico Madrid, who have suffered massive blows in recent weeks. They have been knocked out of the Champions League, and their pursuit of the La Liga title also looks done and dusted.
The home team are 15th on the table with 28 points in their 27 outings. They are just a point clear of the drop zone but have a game in hand. But the Catalan outfit do need to keep collecting points if they want to continue in the Spanish top flight.
Their last league outing was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of RCD Mallorca. They were by far the second-best team on the night and did not really deserve anything out of that fixture. Espanyol will have to punch above their weight to get something out of this fixture.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, who were once favourites to win the league, are now seven points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. With just ten games to go, it is unlikely for the third-placed team to go on to lift the league title.
Defeats in their last two league outings have completely derailed their season. Their last outing was a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the La Liga leaders. Los Rojiblancos will be eyeing to get things back on track with a win as they still have an outside chance of clinching the title. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Espanyol
The home team have a boost, as Pol Lozano is back in the mix after serving a ban last time out. But they do remain without the services of Fernando Pacheco, Jose Gragera, Pablo Ramon, and Alvaro Tejero because of fitness concerns.
Espanyol are unlikely to make too many changes to the team that started in their last outing when they take on Atletico Madrid this weekend. The home side will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal.
Omar El Hilali and Carlos Romero will be the full-backs, while Marash Kumbulla and Leandro Cabrera will pair up in the heart of the defence. In the centre of the park, Pol Lozano will partner with Urko Gonzalez.
They will look to ensure Atletico Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. Jofre Carreras and Javi Puado will feature on the flanks, providing support to the full-backs and at the same time looking to create chances for their forwards. In the final third, Alex Kral will start alongside Roberto Fernandez.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Joan Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Carreras, Lozano, Gonzalez, Javi Puado; Kral, Fernandez
Atletico Madrid
Angel Correa remains suspended, while Koke remains doubtful for this fixture because of a muscular issue. Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection.
The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan should be the full-backs, with Robin Le Normand pairing up, with Jose Gimenez in the heart of the defence.
Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher could feature on the flanks in midfield, while Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios will take up a more central role. They will look to control the tempo of the game. In attack, Julian Alvarez should continue to pair up with Antoine Griezmann.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Gimenez, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Griezmann
Key Stats
- Espanyol have been unbeaten in their last eight league games at home, which includes a win over Real Madrid.
- The last three league fixtures between Espanyol and Atletico Madrid have ended in a draw.
- Diego Simeone’s men have lost each of their last two league outings.
- Atletico Madrid conceded four goals in the final 20 minutes against Barcelona to go from 2-0 to a 4-2 defeat.
- Espanyol have only won one out of their last five league games.
Player to Watch
Conor Gallagher
Gallagher might not have lit up the world since joining Atletico Madrid from Chelsea last summer, but he has been a consistent performer for Diego Simeone’s team. The 25-year-old English international has featured out wide on the right flank.
The Englishman has been involved in a total of 37 matches and has contributed towards eight goals. While he might not have the limelight, the former Chelsea star can certainly have a big say on the end result.
Prediction
Espanyol 0-2 Atletico Madrid
While Diego Simeone’s men are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats in the league, they still have enough quality in their squad to bounce back and get all three points in this fixture.
Having held the away team to a draw in each of their last three league meetings, Espanyol will be confident of their chances but might not be able to get the desired result this time around. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the away team.
