Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will resume their La Liga campaign with a home game against 15th-placed Deportivo Alaves.
Atletico Madrid will be looking to make it five wins in a row across competitions when they host Deportivo Alaves, who have lost six out of their last seven league games, at Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon.
The home team are currently third on the points table with 26 points in their 13 league outings. While they have only lost one league, Simeone’s team have already played out five draws and they are six points behind league leaders Barcelona.
It has not been a perfect start but they have been on a roll of late and will be looking to resume things with a win. They won 1-0 against RCD Mallorca in their last outings. While they did get a positive result, they were far from their best and will be looking to bring their A-game to the table in this fixture.
Meanwhile, the visitors have won four out of their 13 league games. Alaves have accumulated 13 points, and they are 15th on the points table; just three points above the drop zone. The away side have been on a horror run in the last few months.
Apart from their win over RCD Mallorca at the start of November, nothing has gone their way. They will be aiming to script an upset against Atletico. But, it does seem to be a massive task for them. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both squads and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will be without the services of Thomas Lemar and Robin Le Normand. Meanwhile, Nahuel Molina is expected to be back in time to start in this fixture. Atletico Madrid will stick to the 4-4-1-1 formation against Deportivo Alaves, with Jan Oblak taking charge in between the sticks.
Nahuel Molina and Reinildo Mandava will be the full-backs, while Jose Maria Gimenez and Clement Lenglet should start in the heart of the defence.
Simeone’s son Giuliano should start on the right flank, with Conor Gallagher likely to take charge on the left. Pablo Barrios and Koke could pair up in a more central role. In attack, Antoine Griezmann will be in a deeper role with Julian Alvarez leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Reinildo; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Gallagher; Griezmann; Alvarez
Deportivo Alaves
The visitors will be without the services of Hugo Novoa and Carlos Benavidez. Apart from the duo, everyone else is expected to be available for this one.
Head coach Garcia will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Antonio Sivera is expected to be in goal. Nahuel Tenaglia and Manu Sanchez are expected to be the full-backs, while Abdel Abqar and Adrian Pica should continue in the heart of the defence.
Antonio Blanco should partner Ander Guevara in the centre of the park. The double pivot will shield the backline and provide a solid base to attack from.
Carlos Vicente and Carlos Martin will feature on the flanks providing the needed width to their attacks while Jon Guridi should be the attacking midfielder. Toni Martinez will lead the line for Deportivo Alaves against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Pica, Sanchez; Guevara, Blanco; Vicente, Guridi, Martin; Toni Martinez
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won 11 out of their last 20 matches against Deportivo Alaves who only have four wins to their name.
- Diego Simeone’s men have only lost one out of their 13 home games against Alaves.
- Deportivo Alaves have not won away against Atletico Madrid for over a decade now. Their last win came back in May 2003.
- Atletico Madrid have not lost any of their last 36 matches against teams from the Basque country in La Liga.
- Alaves only have one away win in the 2024/25 campaign.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
While Alvarez was off to a slow start following his move to Atletico Madrid, he has started to pick up the pace. The 24-year-old has seven goals and an assist in his 18 outings, and he will be eager to add a few more to his tally when he takes on the field against Alaves.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Deportivo Alaves
Atletico Madrid have been on a roll of late, while Alaves have struggled to avoid defeat. The two have had contrasting fortunes for the majority of the new season and it could be a one-sided affair at the end of the day. Diego Simeone’s men have a great head-to-head record and they will most likely get the job done here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Simeone’s men.
