Las Palmas will look to make it three wins in a row when they hit the road to square up against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Having suffered their first league defeat last time out, Atletico Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways when they host UD Las Palmas who have been on a roll of late at Estadio Metropolitano on Sunday.
The home team are fourth on the table with 20 points in their 11 outings thanks to five wins, five draws and a defeat. The Colchoneros have been on a lean patch of late with just one win in their last four league games.
Simeone’s men suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Betis in their last league game. However, they did get things back on track with a win 2-0 win over Vic in Copa del Rey. Las Palmas will put up a strong fight, and Atletico Madrid will have to be at their best to secure their sixth league win.
The visitors are 18th on the points table. They have had a slow start to the season but have started to pick up pace having won their last two league games. Apart from the wins against Las Palmas and Valencia, they even smashed Ontinena 7-0 in the Copa del Rey.
The away team will be confident of their chances, and they will surely challenge Los Rojiblancos in this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Clement Lenglet, Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, and Cesar Azpilicueta are all unavailable for this fixture. Thomas Lemar was substituted after coming off the bench, which suggests he is unlikely to be available for this one.
Diego Simeone will make quite a few changes to the XI that started in the Copa del Rey fixture. Expect all his stars to return to the starting XI. The home team will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Nahuel Molina and Reinildo Mandava will be the full-backs, while Axel Witsel and Jose Maria Gimenez should feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino will feature on the flanks, while Koke and Conor Gallagher will take charge in a more central position. Finally, French superstar Antoine Griezmann should pair up with Julian Alvarez up top in attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Reinildo; De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann
Las Palmas
The visitors will be without the services of Marvin Park and Adnan Januzaj. Apart from the duo, everyone else is available for selection. Head coach Diego Martinez is expected to revert to the XI that started in their last league outing against Girona.
Las Palmas will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jasper Cillessen will be in goal. Viti and Alex Munoz should be the full-backs for the away team, with Alex Suarez and Scott McKenna featuring in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Dario Essugo and Jose Campana will form the double pivot in middle of the park. They will look to ensure Atletico Madrid do not end up dominating the proceedings.
Kirian Rodriguez will take up the number ten role and be the chief creator of the team, while Manu Fuster and Alberto Moleiro will feature on the flanks. Fabio Silva should continue to lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cillessen; Rozada, Suarez, McKenna, Munoz; Essugo, Campana; Fuster, Kirian Rodriguez, Moleiro; Silva
Key Stats
- Las Palmas have won each of their last three games across competitions.
- Diego Simeone’s team have only won two out of their last seven games in all competitions.
- The away team have conceded 18 goals in their last four defeats against Atletico Madrid.
- When the two teams locked horns at the Estadio Gran Canaria in November 2023, Las Palmas did manage to secure a 2-1 win.
- Atletico Madrid recorded a 5-0 win in the corresponding clash last season.
Player to Watch
Conor Gallagher
Gallagher has adjusted well to life in Spain, establishing himself as a key figure under Diego Simeone. The Englishman has scored two goals in La Liga so far. While the output has not been great, the 24-year-old has still proved to be an important player for Atletico Madrid, and he could end up being the difference between the two teams on Sunday.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Las Palmas
Las Palmas have been on a roll; they have won their last three outings across competitions and will be confident of getting a result against an Atletico Madrid side that have been inconsistent of late. But, the difference in quality in both squads suggests Diego Simeone’s team will have the last laugh. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Simeone and his charges.