Bottom-placed Almeria are still in search of their first-ever win of the season as they prepare to host Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
We are 25 matches into the 2023/24 league season, and Almeria are yet to win even once ahead of the visit of Atletico Madrid. They will look to seal their first win of the season when they host the fourth-placed side, who have two claim all three points to ensure they stay inside the top four.
Almeria have only managed eight points so far this season with no wins, eight draws and 17 defeats. It has not been the ideal season, and surviving relegation from here on looks very difficult given that they are 12 points off safety.
The bottom-placed team have been involved in back-to-back draws of late. They played a goalless draw against Athletic Club and then followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Granada. They have been doing a decent job of late, but if they want all three points against the Colchoneros they will have to bring their best to the table.
Atletico Madrid have played some quality football this season, but they have not been consistent enough in terms of the results. They have already lost six games in the league and 11 points off the top. They only have a two-point advantage over the fifth-placed team and cannot afford to drop any more points.
The visitors did bounce back after their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sevilla. They scripted a 5-0 win over Las Palmas in their last league outing but have not managed to build on it. Simeone’s team lost 1-0 to Inter Milan in their last outing and will look to return to winning ways against Almeria.
It promises to be an exciting clash between two teams who are both desperate for all three points. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Almeria
The home team will be without the services of Cesar Montes for sure, while the availability of Iddrisu Baba, Luis Suarez, and Ibrahima Kone is in doubt. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Largie Ramazani is back following a suspension and should feature in the XI.
They had a decent outing against Granada last time out. As a result, Gaizka Garitano is unlikely to make major changes to the XI. They will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Luis Maximiano will be in goal. Marc Pubill and Bruno Langa will be the two full-backs. They will provide support to the centre-back pairing of Edgar Gonzalez and Aleksandar Radovanovic.
The back four will look to keep a clean sheet, and they will get a lot of support from Iddrisu Baba and Lucas Robertone, who will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to control the tempo and supply the ball to their attacking players. Adrian Embarba and Sergio Arribas will take care of the flanks, while Ramazani will be the attacking midfielder just in behind striker Anthony Lozano.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maximiano; Pubill, E Gonzalez, Radovanovic, Langa; Baba, Robertone; Arribas, Ramazani, Embarba; Lozano
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid received two major blows against Inter Milan on Tuesday as Jose Gimenez was forced off in the first half, while Antoine Greizmann suffered a sprained ankle.
The duo is unlikely to feature in this fixture alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and Thomas Lemar, who are already on the sidelines. There could be quite a few changes to the XI that featured in the Champions League fixture. Meanwhile, Arthur Vermeeren could make his first start following his arrival in January.
Simeone will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Axel Witsel, Stefan Savic and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina and Samuel Lino will be the two wing-backs. While they would love to join the attack, their priority will be to ensure things are kept tight in the back.
Vermeeren should get his first start, and he will feature alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Koke in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dictate the pace of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. With Greizmann doubtful, Alvaro Morata, and Angel Correa could be the two attackers up top.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Witsel, Savic, Hermoso; Molina, De Paul, Koke, Vermeeren, Lino; Morata, Correa
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have lost three out of their last four matches.
- Almeria are yet to win a game in La Liga this season. (25 matches, 0 wins, 8 draws and 17 defeats)
- Diego Simeone’s team are the fourth-highest-scoring team in the division.
- When the two teams met earlier in the season, Atletico won 2-1 while the corresponding fixture last season ended in a draw.
- Almeria have accumulated six out of their eight points at home.
Player to Watch
Alvaro Morata
While all the limelight is on Antoine Greizmann, Morata has been equally good this season. With the Frenchman a doubt for this fixture, Diego Simeone will hope the Spanish international steps up and gets it done for his team.
He has 19 goals and three assists this season, with 15 of those goal contributions coming in his 22 league matches. The 31-year-old has been enjoying his football this season, and he is the one to watch out for.
Prediction
Almeria 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Almeria’s wait for their first win of the season is unlikely to end against Atletico Madrid. While the Colchoneros have been struggling of late, they still have enough quality to get past the bottom-placed team.
The home team have played out two consecutive draws in their last two outings, and they are aware that a point against Atletico Madrid will be a good result. But if they want to survive in the top flight yet again, they need to claim all three, which might not happen. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the visitors.
