Athletic Club will look to keep their unbeaten run in the league intact when they host Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid will look to make it three wins in a row when they hit the road to square up against Athletic Club. Diego Simeone’s team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Barcelona at the start of the month. It was a huge blow but they have managed to bounce back since. However, they are now all set for a tough challenge against an opposition that has not lost in their last eight outings in all competitions.
Athletic Club are currently fifth in the league, with 29 points out of their 16 matches. They have been unbeaten in their last five league matches and have only suffered three defeats so far. The home team have eight wins and five draws to their name in the ongoing season.
The Basque outfit have been in decent form right from the start and will look to carry on in a similar fashion. The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw against Granada. They were the better team on the day, creating more chances and taking more shots at goal but failed to get the desired results. As a result, they will be eager to put up a better performance this time out.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have had a decent start to the new season. They are currently third in La Liga with 34 points out of their 15 matches. The Colchoneros are seven points behind league leaders Girona but do have a game in hand.
Atletico Madrid have won 11, drawn one and lost three so far in the 2023/24 season, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of an important 2-0 win over Lazio on the final matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage. The win sealed a top-of-the-table finish, and they will look for a similar performance against Athletic Club. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Athletic Club
The home team will be without the services of Mikel Vesga, Malcom Adu, Dani Garcia and Yeray Alvarez for this fixture. Oscar De Marcos, who was withdrawn in their last outing, is back fit and available. As far as Ruiz de Galarreta is concerned, he will have to prove his fitness in a late fitness test.
Athletic Club will continue with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Unai Simon will be in goal. Oscar De Marcos and Inigo Lekue will feature as the full-backs. The duo will look to support Aitor Paredes and Dani Vivian, who will take charge in the heart of the defence.
Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Ander Herrera will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will shield the back line and look to initiate counter-attacks with the help of their wingers.
Inaki Williams and Nico Williams will take charge of the flanks. The duo will try to stretch the opposition’s defence and link up with Oihan Sancet to create goal-scoring opportunities. Sancet will be the creator-in-chief as he will start as the attacking midfielder. Meanwhile, Gorka Guruzeta will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Herrera, Ruiz de Galarreta; I Williams, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta
Atletico Madrid
The visitors will be without the services of Pablo Barrios, Thomas Lemar and Vitolo for this fixture. Apart from the trio, everyone else is expected to be full-fit for this outing.
Diego Simeone will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Jose Maria Gimenez, Axel Witsel and Mario Hermoso. The trio will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of the wing-backs.
Samuel Lino and Nahuel Molina will take care of the flanks. They will feature out wide as the wing-backs and will look to join the attack at every possible opportunity. But, their priority will be the ensure they keep it tight at the back.
In the centre of the park, Marcos Llorente and Koke will start alongside World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul. The trio will look to dictate the pace and control the tempo. As for the attack, Alvaro Morata will pair up with Antoine Griezmann. The duo have been in sensational form since the start of the season and they will look to continue in a similar fashion.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, De Paul, Koke, Llorente, Lino; Morata, Griezmann
Key Stats
- In the last 40 outings between the two teams, Atletico Madrid have won 25, while Athletic Club only have 10 wins to their name.
- After a stretch of four games without a win against the home team, Simeone’s team have won the last two outings against them.
- Athletic Club have been unbeaten in their last eight outings in all competitions. They haven’t lost in their last five league outings.
- The visitors have won nine out of their last 11 league games.
- Atletico Madrid are the third highest-scoring team in the division, while Athletic Club are the fourth highest-scoring team.
Player to Watch
Nico Williams
Nico Williams has had a great start to the new season, with eight goal contributions in his 14 outings. The 21-year-old winger who has come up the ranks at the Athletic Club has been a consistent performer for them of late and his impressive performances have resulted in a lot of interest from across Europe. The 21-year-old could end up being the difference between the two teams on Saturday.
Prediction
Athletic Club 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid will be heading into this fixture as favourites and when we look into their recent form and the quality of their squads, Diego Simeone’s team do have the upper hand but on Saturday they might not be able to dominate the opposition.
Athletic Club might not be a team full of superstars, but they do have a lot of quality in their ranks. And, they could prove to be a touch too much for the visitors. The home team might just manage to come out on top here and cause an upset. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.