Atletico Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to face 11th-placed Sevilla on Sunday.
After back-to-back defeats in La Liga, Sevilla will be desperate to get back on track, although facing Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid won’t make things any easier. The visitors will also be hungry for a win as they look to bounce back themselves in the league game at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
The home team are 11th on the table with just 36 points in their 29 outings. The Andalusian outfit have only won one out of their last five league outings, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats. Their last outing was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Betis.
Los Nervionenses were second-best on the night and hardly deserved anything from that game. To stand a chance against Atletico Madrid, Sevilla will need to raise their level and deliver a much more resilient performance.
Midway through the season, Atletico Madrid were one of the most in-form teams in Europe, and they were one of the favourites to win all major titles, but things have not gone according to plan for them. The Colchoneros have been knocked out of both cup competitions, and they have dropped quite a few points in La Liga.
Los Rojiblancos are third in La Liga, and they are nine points behind the league leaders with just nine games to go. They have dropped points in each of their last three league outings. Simeone’s men are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona, which knocked them out of the Copa del Rey. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Sevilla
The home team do have a boost as Lucien Agoume and Djibril Sow are both available after serving a suspension last time out. Meanwhile, Tanguy Nianzou remains doubtful for this fixture, but apart from him, everyone else should be available for selection.
Sevilla will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Orjan Nyland will take charge in goal. Jose Angel Carmona and Adria Pedrosa will feature as the full-backs, while Loic Bade will partner with Kike Salas at the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Albert Sambi Lokonga will start alongside Lucien Agoume and Djibril Sow. The trio will look to ensure that the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Dodi Lukebakio and Ruben Vargas will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Isaac Romero should lead the line for Sevilla against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Salas, Pedrosa; Agoume, Sow, Lokonga; Lukebakio, Romero, Vargas
Atletico Madrid
Jose Gimenez and Angel Correa are suspended for this fixture, but Atletico Madrid do not have any fresh injury concerns ahead of the game against Sevilla. Diego Simeone will have a fully-fit squad to choose from as they look to secure a win for the first time in over a month.
The away side will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be back in the starting XI. Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Robin Le Normand will partner with Clement Lenglet.
Giuliano Simeone and Samuel Lino could take charge on the flanks in midfield. Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios could take up a more central role. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Alexander Sorloth could be handed the opportunity to start alongside Julian Alvarez in this fixture, with Antoine Griezmann playing a part off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Sorloth, Alvarez
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have failed to win any of their last six matches across competitions.
- Sevilla have picked up 19 points from 14 home games, while Atletico Madrid have 23 points from 14 away games.
- While Atletico Madrid did record a 4-3 win in the reverse fixture, they lost 1-0 to Sevilla in the corresponding fixture last season.
- Diego Simeone’s men last won against Athletic Bilbao at the start of March.
- Sevilla will be looking to avoid a third straight defeat in the league.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
The Argentine World Cup winner has enjoyed an exceptional debut season at Atletico Madrid. Despite having a slow start, Alvarez has managed to rack up 23 goals and five assists in his 46 outings. the summer arrival has been one of the standout performers for the Madrid-based club, and they will be hoping he can help them finish the season on a high.
Prediction
Sevilla 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid might not have been in the best of forms, but they still have enough quality to go past a struggling Sevilla outfit. The home side are coming into this clash on the back of two consecutive defeats. While Los Nervionenses will be desperate to avoid a third, they might struggle to halt Atletico’s charge. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Diego Simeone and his charges.
