Atletico Madrid will look to secure consecutive wins in La Liga when they host bottom-placed Real Valladolid on Monday.
While a return to the second division looks almost certain for Real Valladolid, they will still be looking to finish the season on a high, and even a point against Atletico Madrid away from home could be a sensational result for them.
The home team are third on the table with 60 points in their 30 matches. While they were in contention for all major titles midway through the season, things have not gone according to plan for them in the second half. Atletico Madrid are ten points behind league leaders Barcelona, but they do have a game in hand.
Only a miracle can help them win the league title. For now, their focus remains on winning all their remaining fixtures and finishing the season on a high. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Sevilla and will be confident of claiming all three points against Valladolid.
The visitors are 20th on the table with just 16 points in their 30 outings. The Albivioletas are 14 points behind 17th-placed Deportivo Alaves. With just eight games to go, they are unlikely to survive the drop.
Valladolid are heading into this fixture on the back of four straight defeats in the league. Their last outing was a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Getafe. They will be eager to end their losing streak, but it won’t be that straightforward. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Angel Correa remains suspended, while Samuel Lino and Rodrigo De Paul are sidelined through injury. They do have a boost as Jose Gimenez returns to the squad after serving a suspension in the previous match.
Diego Simeone is unlikely to make too many changes to the XI that secured all three points in their last outing. They will stick with the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan should be the full-backs, while Robin Le Normand should partner with Jose Gimenez at the heart of the defence.
Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher could feature on the flanks in midfield. They will look to contribute on both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Marcos Llorente and Pablo Barrios will take up central roles. In attack, Julian Alvarez should continue to partner with Antoine Griezmann.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Le Normand, Gimenez, Galan; Simeone, Llorente, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Griezmann
Real Valladolid
While David Torres and Javi Sanchez will be back available following suspensions last time out, Mario Martin is unavailable for this one following a red card in their last outing. Meanwhile, Karl Hein and Florian Grillitsch could both undergo a late fitness test.
The visitors will also line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Andre Ferreira will be in goal. The back four will be made up of Antonio Candela, David Torres, Cenk Ozkacar and Javi Sanchez. Candela and Sanchez will be on the flanks, while the other two will feature in the heart of the defence.
Ivan Sanchez and Raul Moro will feature in the wide areas in midfield. They will look to contribute on both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Tamas Nikitscher and Anuar Mohamed Tuhami will look to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. Mamadou Sylla will partner with Juanmi Latasa in the final third of the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ferreira; Candela, Torres, Okzacar, Javi Sanchez; Ivan Sanchez, Nikitscher, Tuhami, Moro; Sylla, Latasa
Key Stats
- Before their win over Sevilla, Atletico Madrid had gone five games without a victory.
- Real Valladolid are heading into this fixture on the back of four straight defeats.
- The White and Violets have the worst attack and defence in the competition. They have scored 19 goals, while they have let in 69 goals.
- Atletico Madrid have won each of their last six league games against real Valladolid.
- The reverse fixture ended 5-0 in favour of Diego Simeone’s men.
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann
At 34, Griezmann remains one of the most important players at Atletico Madrid. He has contributed 23 goals in his 45 outings this season. While he did have an impressive first half of the season, things have not been that great for him in the second half, which might have played a big part in the Madrid-based outfit’s inconsistent performances.
The French attacker has only scored one goal in his last 14 league games, and he will certainly be eager to get his name on the score sheet when they host Valladolid, who have the worst defence in the competition, having let in 69 goals in their 30 outings.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Real Valladolid
Atletico Madrid will be looking to build on their win over Sevilla and continue their push for a strong finish when they take on bottom-placed Real Valladolid. Despite a few key absentees, they still boast enough quality in their squad to go past a struggling Valladolid outfit.
Meanwhile, the visitors are staring at a fifth-straight defeat, and they have the worst attack and defence in the league. They were thrashed 5-0 in the reverse fixture and face an uphill task once again. With nothing going their way, another tough outing awaits. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the home team.
