Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are all set to host fourth-placed Athletic Club at Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday evening.
Athletic Club will have to take down third-placed Atletico Madrid if they want to further strengthen their position inside the top four. Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s men will look to return to winning ways after a hard-fought draw against Barcelona last time out in the Copa del Rey.
The Colchoneros have emerged as one of the title contenders this season. While Atletico Madrid are within touching distance of Barcelona and Real Madrid, they need to keep winning to ensure they maintain the pressure on their rivals.
While Los Rojiblancos have been unbeaten in their last five league games, they have only won two of those fixtures. Diego Simeone’s men are just a point behind Los Blancos and the Catalan giants. So, they won’t want to drop any more points as we head into the final phase of the season.
The visitors are fourth on the table, five points behind Atletico Madrid. While Athletic Club do have a mathematical chance of clinching the title, their priority is securing a top-four finish. They already have a four-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal and will be looking to build on it.
A win here will not only help the away side close the gap on Atletico Madrid but will also give them a massive boost for the challenges ahead. Ernesto Valverde’s men are heading into this one on the back of a sensational 7-1 win over Real Valladolid, and they will be confident of their chances. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s team could be without the services of Koke. However, apart from the veteran midfielder, everyone else should be available for selection. The Argentine manager will recall some of his stars who did not feature in the Copa del Rey fixture.
Against Athletic Club, Atletico Madrid will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan will be the full-backs, while Jose Gimenez will pair up with Clement Lenglet in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Giuliano Simeone and Samuel Lino will feature on the flanks, while Rodrigo De Paul and Marcos Llorente will take up a more central role in hopes of controlling the tempo of the game. Finally, Julian Alvarez should continue to pair up with Antoine Griezmann in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Llorente, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez
Athletic Club
While the visitors will be without the services of Alvaro Djalo, they have not suffered any fresh injuries of late. Athletic Club are heading into this clash against Atetico Madrid high on confidence, thanks to their emphatic win last time out.
Los Leoes will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Unai Simon will be in goal. Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche will feature as the full-backs, while Dani Vivian and Aitor Paredes will feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Mikel Jauregizar will partner with Mikel Vesga. The duo will look to ensure they do not let the opposition dominate the ball too deep in their half. Oihan Sancet will take up the no. 10 role, while Inaki Williams and Nico Williams will feature on the flanks for them. Winter signing Maroan Sannadi will lead the line for Athletic Club against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri; Jauregizar, Vesga; Inaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams; Sannadi
Key Stats
- Athletic Club are pushing for a top-four finish for the first time in a decade. Not only are they fourth at this stage, but they also have a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Villarreal.
- Diego Simeone’s team have an impressive record at Estadio Metropolitano as they have accumulated 28 points from 13 league games.
- Athletic Club have won three of their last five meetings against Atletico Madrid in all competitions. But, they lost the most recent clash 1-0.
- Ernesto Valverde’s team have been unbeaten in their last 16 La Liga games. Their last defeat came against Girona back in October.
- Atletico Madrid have kept have a clean sheet in two out of their last three games.
Player to Watch
Alexander Sorloth
While Sorloth is unlikely to start in this fixture, he could still have a big say on the result. The 29-year-old has played the role of a super sub for Diego Simeone’s team, and he has done the job more often than not.
Despite being more of a backup player, the Norwegian international has 15 goal contributions in less than 1,400 minutes of first-team action. He will be eager to add to his tally when he gets a chance against Athletic Club.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Athletic Club
Athletic Club have been in sensational form of late. The Basque outfit have not lost any of their last 16 league games, and they will certainly be confident about getting something out of Saturday’s La Liga fixture.
Atletico Madrid will have to work very hard to get anything out, and they might actually come out with all three points, given that they have more quality on the bench. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
