Atletico Madrid will look to make it three wins in a row in La Liga when they host Getafe at the Civitas Metropolitano on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid will go up against an out-of-form Getafe on Saturday. The Civitas Metropolitano will play host to this encounter. Los Rojiblancos will be hoping to make it three wins in a row, whereas Getafe will look to bounce back with a win.
The Colchoneros would love to strengthen their case for a UEFA Champions League spot. They are currently fourth on the La Liga points table with 34 points from their 19 matches. Villarreal and Real Betis are breathing down their neck with 31 points each. Diego Simeone’s side cannot afford a slip-up because dropping points against Getafe will allow Villarreal and Real Betis to close the gap.
Simeone’s side are no longer a part of any European competition and have recently been knocked out of the Cop del Rey. All they have to play for is a Champions League spot, as winning La Liga from here is almost an impossible task. So, expect them to field their best XI in the Spanish top flight day in and day out.
Atletico’s only genuine chance of silverware was the Copa del Rey where they squared up against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Los Rojiblancos suffered at the hands of Real, losing 3-1 on the night. However, they bounced back after that defeat with a win over Osasuna in La Liga.
Atletico Madrid will head into the Getafe game on the back of their 1-0 win over Osasuna. They were clinical on the night and will hope for a similar performance against the Azulones. In their last five fixtures, Atletico have dropped points twice as they could only manage three wins, a draw, and a defeat.
The Colchoneriso have not been clinical at home in the ongoing season. They have only managed 14 points in their nine matches at the Civitas Metropolitano. As far as Getafe are concerned, they have had a tough time in 2023.
The visitors are currently on a four-match losing streak and would love to get at least a point when they visit Civitas Metropolitano. Their recent struggles have seen them drop down to the 19th position. If they fail to improve their situation in the next few matches, their time in La Liga will most likely end.
The visitors ended 2022 on a high with a 2-0 win over RCD Mallorca. But what followed has left their fans shell-shocked. Getafe were defeated in four straight games in January. They lost against Sevilla, Espanyol, Barcelona, and Real Betis.
The only positive in their last four defeats was that they managed to restrict Barcelona and Real Betis, two of the top six teams, to a goal. Quique Sanchez Flores’s side have 17 points in their 19 matches with four wins, five draws, and ten defeats.
The fact that they are just three points away from safety means not everything is lost yet and they still have a chance to revive the season. They do not really need to panic yet. A few good results and they will be back on track. Since 2004, Getafe have only played outside of La Liga once, and they will be hoping that this record stays intact.
As far as the reverse fixture is concerned, Getafe suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid at home. They got smashed at the hands of Diego Simeone’s men. Flores’s side were clueless and could not put up a fight against the Spanish giants. Getafe have not beaten Atletico since November 2011. And this stat pretty much indicates the size of the task at their hands.
However, they will have to believe they can cause an upset when they travel to the Metropolitano on Saturday. It is going to be an interesting clash between two teams who are desperate to win for different reasons. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the teams could line up and what tactics they might use.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
🔜 Next challenge: Atleti-Getafe! pic.twitter.com/NMx2VcwWSE
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 3, 2023
Atletico Madrid will be without the services of Stefan Savic and Marcos Llorente when Getafe visit them. The duo is likely to be out for a few more weeks because of muscular problems. While Llorente is back in training, he is unlikely to take part tomorrow.
Atletico signed Matt Doherty from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day. The 31-year-old full-back will be in contention to make his debut in this fixture. Meanwhile, Memphis Depay, who joined them from rivals Barcelona will be pushing to start in the XI.
Alvaro Morata and Memphis Depay are two possible options that Diego Simeone has at his disposal. And, it will be interesting to see who pairs up with Antoine Griezmann in the final third of the pitch.
Simeone is unlikely to change his preferred 4-4-2 formation. Jan Oblak will start in goal. Nahuel Molina, Jose Maria Gimenez, Mario Hermoso, and Reinildo Mandava will form the backline.
Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Pablo Barios Rivas, and Angel Correa will take charge of the midfield. And, Morata is likely to pair up with Griezmann in the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Hermoso, Reinildo; De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Correa; Morata, Griezmann
Getafe
Mauro Arambarri and Munir El Haddadi will both miss the trip to the Civitas Metropolitano. Apart from the duo, everyone is available for this big clash.
Getafe suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Betis last time out. But, there were a lot of positives for the team. And as a result manager, Quique Sanchez Flores is expected to field an unchanged XI. Borja Mayoral is once again expected to pair up with Enes Unal in the final third. Carles Alena and Luis Milla will most like retain their spots in the midfield.
🗣 "Estamos preparados para hacer un buen partido"#VamosGeta | #AtletiGetafe
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) February 3, 2023
Flores is likely to use the 5-3-2, but he can even go for a 5-4-1 in order to hold off the Atletico Madrid attack. David Soria will be in goal for them. The back five will be made up of Damian Suarez, Djene Dakonam, Domingos Duarte, Omar Alderete, and Juan Iglesias.
The midfield three will see Angel Algobia, Milla and Alena take the field. Finally, the front two will be made up of Unal and Mayoral.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Soria; Suarez, Dakonam, Duarte, Alderete, Iglesias; Algobia, Milla, Alena; Unal, Mayoral
Key Stats
- When Atletico Madrid face Getafe at home, 2-0 is the most frequent result. This outcome has been recorded on six occasions.
- Getafe have only won four out of their 40 matches against Los Rojiblancos. 27 have been won by Atletico and nine have ended in a draw.
- In the last 19 meetings between the two teams, Getafe have won just two while Atletico have ended up on the right side of the result on 15 occasions.
- Atletico Madrid are on 12-match winning streak against Getafe at home.
- Getafe are on a four-match losing streak, and they have lost all the four matches with a one-goal margin.
Player to Watch
Memphis Depay
While Memphis Depay is unlikely to start, he can be the one who actually has the biggest impact. Coming off the bench will most likely work in the favor of Depay, who, of late, has not been at his best. His Barcelona exit might actually help him, as a new environment at Atletico will give him an opportunity to start from scratch.
Diego Simeone is expected to bring him on to unsettle the opposition defense, which is likely to sit deep against his team. Getafe have a traditional back five where the full-backs might not push high up the field. Depay’s ability is short spaces and his ball control can be critical against a low block.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Getafe
Getafe are on a 4 game-losing streak, nothing is working for them at the moment. They might have put up a fight against Barcelona and Real Betis but they ended up on the wrong side of the result. Similar is expected against the Madrid-based club. They might not get thrashed but they are likely to end up with a defeat. Atletico Madrid is expected to go all-out attack if they need to search for a win in the final minutes. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 1-0 win for Simeone’s side.
