Espanyol and Atletico Madrid will face each other at RCDE Stadium on Wednesday, with the two teams having completely different ambitions for the rest of the season.
Wednesday’s La Liga action closes out with a lopsided contest between bottom-half Espanyol and high-flying Atletico Madrid at the RCDE Stadium.
Espanyol are mired in a relegation battle. They sit second from bottom in La Liga, just one point adrift of safety with three games remaining. And while their fate cannot be sealed this weekend, they could be cut adrift from the teams above them if results do not go their way.
In a major boost to their survival prospects, Los Periquitos saw off Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the weekend and will look to build on that. But they face an uphill task against Diego Simeone’s troops.
For much of this season, qualifying for UEFA Champions League seemed to be a prospect in real jeopardy for Atletico Madrid. However, they have silenced their critics with superb attacking performances in recent weeks. And with a routine 3-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend, they are now guaranteed a spot in the top four by the end of the season.
In midweek against Espanyol, they could guarantee a top-three finish as their bid to finish above rivals Real Madrid continues. Atletico Madrid have not only won four of their last five La Liga games but have also scored at least thrice in each of them. However, they did drop two points in the reverse fixture, and they can expect a similar fight from the relegation-battling hosts here.
Team News & Tactics
Espanyol
👉🏼📒 #EspanyolAtleti pic.twitter.com/sN1fHw9CH7
— RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (@RCDEspanyol) May 22, 2023
Espanyol did not escape their game against Rayo Vallecano unscathed, as Sergi Gomez was pulled out in the second half with a hamstring injury. And manager Luis Garcia is sweating over the fitness of the 31-year-old for the visit of Atletico.
Keidi Bare is still suffering from an ankle injury and is likely to miss out. Jose Gragera (ankle) and Martin Braithwaite (hamstring) both did not make the team at the weekend owing to respective injuries, which might keep both players out for the rest of the season. Garcia, however, has refused to rule either player out of returning to the fold.
Garcia is not expected to make any major changes to his Espanyol side, which featured from the start in last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Cesar Montes will slot into the back four alongside Leandro Cabrera if Gomez is not passed fit for Wednesday’s showdown. Brian Olivan and Oscar Gil will occupy the full-back positions but are expected to primarily support the central defence and, by extension, protect Antonio Pacheco in goal.
In midfield, Sergi Darder and Fernando Calero remain guaranteed starters in the double pivot. Garcia should also stick to the wide attacking setup of Denis Suarez and Javi Puado. Nico Melamed will retain his role as number 10 after scoring the match-winning goal last time out, while Joselu will lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pacheco; Gil, Montes, Cabrera, Olivan; Darder, Calero; Puado, Melamed, Suarez; Joselu
Atletico Madrid
Atlético Madrid will once again have to do without the services of at least five first-team players due to injuries. Among them are players like Stefan Savic (toe), Thomas Lemar (hamstring), Memphis Depay (calf), Reinildo Mandava (ACL), Marcos Llorente (adductor), and Jan Oblak (neck).
Meanwhile, Alvaro Morata had a largely forgettable day against Osasuna, as after seeing two goals ruled out, the Spanish attacker was hooked off at half-time due to a neck injury and is now uncertain for the trip to Espanyo.
That has added to an ever-growing list of injury concerns for Simeone. Given the comprehensive victory over Osasuna last weekend, Diego Simeone will surely resist the temptation to reshuffle his starting eleven.
We love you Grizi 👏🫶 pic.twitter.com/W40yD9Ikqi
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) May 22, 2023
Ivo Grbic is a certain starter in goal for the visitors in Oblak’s absence. Mario Hermoso is expected to start at the heart of Atleti’s backline, whereas midfielder-turned-defender Axel Witsel will feature at the left centre-back spot. Jose Gimenez will occupy the right centre-back position in the back three, flanked by the wing-back duo of Yannick Carrasco and Nahuel Molina.
With a spot in midfield seemingly up for grabs, many anticipated Pablo Barrios to start alongside Koke and Rodrigo de Paul on Sunday. But in the end, it was Saul Niguez who got the nod against Osasuna.
The ex-Chelsea flop produced one of his most eye-catching displays in some time, scoring a well-taken goal in the 62nd minute and hitting the post with another rifled effort from outside the box early on.
He provided a different dimension with his goalscoring threat from midfield and can keep his spot here. Even if Morata’s injury is minor, Angel Correa has made a strong case for a starting spot up top alongside red-hot Antoine Griezmann after scoring off the bench last weekend.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Grbic; Molina, Gimenez, Hermoso, Witsel, Carrasco; Saul, De Paul, Koke; Correa, Griezmann
Key Stats
- Espanyol have not won any of their last five meetings with Atletico de Madrid in La Liga (D2 L3).
- Espanyol have scored at least once in each of their last five games in La Liga.
- Atletico Madrid boast a +36 goal differential, which ranks them third in the division.
- Espanyol have remarkably scored in 20 of their 21 La Liga games since the World Cup.
- Espanyol boss Diego Martinez has failed to win in his five games as a manager against Atletico Madrid in La Liga (D2 L3).
Player to Watch
Joselu
Making the headlines lately for all the right reasons, Joselu has been linked with a surprise move back to Real Madrid in recent weeks. That is a credit to the 33-year-old, who has been in strong form during the 2022/23 campaign, finding the back of the net on 16 occasions in 36 appearances, in addition to contributing four assists.
Although Espanyol are at risk of relegation, only Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema have netted more than Joselu’s 15 this campaign. He was also a regular goalscorer for Alaves before his move to Espanyol, scoring 14 La Liga goals last season. He has been running a one-man show for the underperforming team and will be relied upon to trouble the defence of Simeone’s side here.
Prediction
Espanyol 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Los Colchoneros have already booked their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League and have little left to play for other than finishing ahead of city rivals Real Madrid. Espanyol needs a result out of this match more to put themselves in a position to at least take the relegation scrap down to the wire and hope for a slip-up from teams just above them.
The Catalan outfit will feel they can get something out of the game at home, and so do we. The Hard Tackle backs the underdogs to earn a vital point in front of their home crowd this midweek. It should be a 1-1 draw with both teams managing a solitary point on the night.
