Atletico Madrid are desperate to get back to winning ways as they take on Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Tuesday.
Atletico Madrid will be under pressure to perform when they lock horns with Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Tuesday. It is a must-win game for the reigning Spanish champions, whose bid to retain the title has gone slightly off-track by a recent draw to Athletic Bilbao at Wanda Metropolitano on the weekend.
It was the second successive draw for Diego Simeone’s men who were also held goalless by FC Porto in last week’s UEFA Champions League opener. Despite the disappointing results, Atletico are still in the second position in the league table, but a win could be critical if they are to maintain pressure on league leaders Real Madrid.
Getafe, meanwhile, are in a similar situation but on the bottom end of the table. It has been a horrible start to the league campaign for the Madriliean outfit that has lost all five of their opening matches and are only leading Deportivo Alaves due to a slightly superior goal difference.
Things won’t be made any easier when they lock horns with the reigning champions and it won’t be surprising to see the hosts settling for a draw rather than going all out for all three points. Their recovery, after all, might be heavily reliant on their mentality and a point over Atleti would certainly serve as the ideal confidence booster.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of their exciting encounter in Laliga this weekend.
Tactics & Team News
Getafe
Getafe are in a major crisis right now, having suffered five back to back losses to begin the new season. Their chances won’t be helped by the loss of Jakub Jankto and Mauro Arambarri through injury. Sandro Ramirez, too, will not participate while Vitolo is unavailable as he is currently on loan from Atletico.
The boss on Getafe ?️
❝Getafe are going through a difficult moment, but they have competed very well in every game.❞ pic.twitter.com/W2cbXw6Bqd
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 20, 2021
It leaves Michel in a bit of a muddle as far as his team selection is concerned. While the 58-year-old might opt for a 4-4-2 setup, there might be an extra emphasis on defence, with Nemanja Maksimovic and Florentino Luis once again sitting in front of the back-four to provide additional cover.
The defence itself should consist of Damian Suarez and Jonathan Silva as full-backs, covering the two central defenders in Jorge Cuenca and club captain Djene Dakonam, whose aerial and physical prowess might be key to prevent the Atletico forwards from causing menace.
As for the attacking setup, the absence of Vitolo and Jankto means Getafe will bank their hopes on ex-Barcelona starlet Carles Alena to provide the creative service from the flanks. He and Mathias Olivera, filling in for the injured attackers, could play a vital role in offering aid upfront. Meanwhile, Sandro not being available could see Michel opting for the attacking combination of Enes Unal and Jaime Mata in the frontline.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Soria; Suarez, Djene, Cuenca, Silva; Alena, Luis, Maksimovic, Olivera; Unal, Mata
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have their fair share of absentees as well, with Geoffrey Kondogbia becoming the latest player to be ruled. He joins Koke and Thomas Lemar in the list of unavailable players through injury while Joao Felix is set to serve his suspension after receiving two bookings against Bilbao.
Tomorrow’s team ? pic.twitter.com/05YZ313HMy
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 20, 2021
Diego Simeone might go for a strong attack this midweek given how his team has struggled to find the edge in the final third. As such, both Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez are in contention to spearhead the Atletico frontline, with Angel Correa being an option from the bench.
In the creative department, Marcos Llorente is a guaranteed starter on the right hand side of the midfield. The same can be said for Rodrigo De Paul, who made a strong impression on the weekend. But it will be interesting to see who reprises the role of Koke or Kondogbia.
Hector Herrera is the frontrunner as the Mexican international has the aggression and strength to provide the solidity in the number six position. He will form the three-man Atletico midfielder alongside De Paul and Llorente.
Elsewhere, Simeone may continue with Kieran Trippier on the right wing-back position while Yannick Carrasco is set to replace Renan Lodi on the opposite flank. Finally, in defence, there might not be too many changes as Mario Hermoso, Jose Gimenez and Stefan Savic look for their third successive clean sheets for goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Trippier, Llorente, Herrera, De Paul, Carrasco; Griezmann, Suarez
Key Stats
- Getafe have failed to win in their last 17 La Liga games against Atletico Madrid, their longest winless run against a single opponent in the competition.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 17 La Liga games against Getafe, their longest run without conceding a goal against a single opponent in the competition.
- Getafe last defeated Atletico Madrid in La Liga in November 2011 (3-2) under Luis Garcia Plaza, with Gregorio Manzano as Atletico Madrid manager, this is also the last time they scored against Los Colchoneros in the competition.
- Getafe have lost their last four league games against Madrilean sides played on Tuesday, failing to score in the last three, one of them against Atletico Madrid.
- Under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid have lost only one of their last 14 league games played on Tuesday (0-1 vs Villarreal in April 2017).
Player to Watch
Rodrigo De Paul
At Rodrigo De Paul HQ, we move. pic.twitter.com/gj2ATNem5U
— Cerebróne (@Cerebrone) September 18, 2021
Rodrigo De Paul is yet to announce himself as a key player for Atletico Madrid since joining from Udinese from the summer. He was meant to be the club’s marquee signing this season up until the unexpected deadline day capture of Antoine Griezmann. Nevertheless, the playmaker is yet to hit the ground running.
However, the Argentine international did produce a positive display in the last game against Athletic Bilbao. De Paul can utilise that momentum to once again make an impression this time around, especially with key players like Lemar, Felix and Koke out injured for Colchoneros at the moment.
Prediction
Getafe 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have had problems finding the back of the net recently, with the reigning champions looking clueless particularly in the creative department. However, a clash with one of the bottom clubs in Getafe might give them the ideal opportunity to resettle themselves and gain some winning momentum.
Simeone’s men might not win by a huge margin but they are not expected to concede a goal either. We are expecting a rather comfortable 2-0 result for the visitors in this one.
