Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they host 12th-placed Celta Vigo at Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid sit just one point behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid, and they will aim to maintain the pressure on their local rivals with a victory over Celta Vigo, who brought an end to their winless run last time out.
The home team have accumulated 49 points in their 23 outings. An incredible run across formats helped them establish themselves as title contenders, but things have not been that great for Diego Simeone’s men of late as they have only won one out of their last four league games.
Los Rojiblancos played out a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid last time out, and they will be looking to return to winning ways against Celta Vigo. The visitors are 12th on the table with 28 points in their 23 outings.
After a run of five games without a win, they finally got things back on track by defeating Real Betis 3-2 in their last outings. Now, they will be looking to build on it. But, it won’t be easy as they are going up against one of the title contenders who cannot afford to drop points with Barcelona just a point behind them and Real Madrid within touching distance. 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
Robin Le Normand will return to the squad after missing the last outing because of suspension. The home side do not have any fresh injury concerns, which means Diego Simeone has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Against Celta Vigo, Atletico Madrid will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Marcos Llorente and Javi Galan should feature out wide on the flanks, while Jose Gimenez should partner with Clement Lenglet at the heart of the defence.
Giuliano Simeone and Samuel Lino could take up the flanks. Meanwhile, Rodrigo De Paul will partner with Pablo Barrios in a more central role. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Julian Alvarez should partner Antoine Griezmann in the final third of the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez
Celta Vigo
Carl Starfelt and Ilaix Moriba are back in the mix after serving a suspension last time out. Miguel Gutierrez is sidelined because of a groin injury, while Franco Cervi and Unai Nunez are major doubts for this one. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo do have a boost, as Iago Aspas is back fit.
The visitors will go ahead with the 3-4-3 formation, where Vicente Guaita will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Javi Rodriguez, Carl Starfelt, and Marcos Alonso.
Oscar Mingueza and Hugo Alvarez will feature as the wing-backs for Celta Vigo against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. They will look to support the backline as well as contribute towards attack when possible.
In the centre of the park, Fran Beltrán will partner with Hugo Sotelo. The duo will look to ensure Atletico midfielder do not dominate the proceedings. Aspas and Williot Swedberg will provide width to their attacks, while Pablo Duran will lead the line for Celta Vigo against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Guaita; Javi Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso; Mingueza, Beltran, Sotelo, Alvarez; Aspas, Duran, Swedberg
Key Stats
- Celta Vigo brought an end to their five-match winless run across competitions with a win over Real Betis last time out.
- Atletico Madrid have only won one out of their last four league games.
- Diego Simeone’s team have the best defensive record in the competition having conceded just 15 goals.
- Celta Vigo have suffered defeat in each of their last seven league games against the team in red and white.
- Atletico Madrid have the best home record in the division, having picked up 30 points in their 12 matches.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
Alvarez has a total of 21 goal contributions so far in his debut season at Atletico Madrid. The Argentine international might have endured a slow start to life at the Spanish club, but he has been on fire of late. Having scored against Real Madrid last time out, the 25-year-old will look to continue in a similar fashion.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo
The visitors did bring an end to their winless run last time out, but they might not be able to build on it as they will be going up against one of the best teams in La Liga. Diego Simeone’s team might have been a touch inconsistent of late, but they do have enough firepower in their ranks to get back to winning ways. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
