Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they host tenth-placed Rayo Vallecano.
While Diego Simeone and his charges are out of the title race, they remain comfortably placed in the battle for a UEFA Champions League spot. Following a surprise defeat in their last outing, Atletico Madrid will be eager to bounce back against a Rayo Vallecano side that has lost momentum in recent weeks in their pursuit of European qualification.
The home side sit third in the table with 63 points from 32 matches. The Colchoneros trail league leaders Barcelona by 13 points and, although they have a game in hand, it is a gap that’s unlikely to be closed with only six games left.
As far as Champions League qualification is concerned, Atletico are 12 points clear of sixth-placed Real Betis, which all but guarantees their place in next season’s competition. Even with little left to fight for, Los Rojiblancos will be keen to end the campaign strongly. Having fallen to UEFA Las Palmas last time out, they will be desperate to return to winning ways.
Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, have slipped to 10th after managing just one win in their last nine league outings. Despite their recent struggles, they are still in contention for a top-seven finish, sitting only three points behind seventh-placed RCD Mallorca with a game in hand. However, with Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad also vying for the final European spot, the pressure is on.
Rayo are winless in their last three and come into this one following a 1-1 draw with Valencia. While Los Franjirrojos will be keen to get back on track, overcoming Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano will be a tough ask. 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, Rodrigo De Paul, and Samuel Lino are all back in the mix. Since Atletico Madrid have not reported any fresh injury concerns, they will most likely have a fully-fit squad for this fixture against Rayo Vallecano.
Diego Simeone is expected to stick with his preferred 4-4-2 formation, but he is likely to make a few changes to the XI that started in the defeat to Las Palmas. Jan Oblak will be in goal for the home team, while Marcos Llorente and Javi Galan will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Jose Gimenez will start alongside Robin Le Normand.
Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher will feature on the flanks in midfield, while Rodrigo De Paul could come in to partner with Pablo Barrios in the centre of the park. Antoine Griezmann will return to the starting XI and start alongside Julian lvarez in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Griezmann
Rayo Vallecano
The visitors will be without the services of Abdul Mumin and Jonathan Montiel. Meanwhile, Sergio Camello is closing in on a return, but this fixture might have come a touch too early for him.
Inigo Perez is unlikely to make too many changes to the XI that started in their last outing and he will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation. Augusto Batalla should continue in goal for Rayo. The back four should be made up of Andrei Rațiu, Florian Lejeune, Pathe Ciss and Pep Chavarría.
They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive significant support from Óscar Valentín and Unai López who will form the double pivot in midfield. Pedro Díaz will feature as the number ten for the away team, while Jorge de Frutos and Álvaro García will provide the much-needed width to their attacks. Finally, Randy Nteka will lead the line for Rayo for Vallecano on Bologna.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Chavarria; Valentin, Lopez; De Frutos, Diaz, Garcia; Nteka
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won 27 out of the last 48 matches against Rayo Vallecano, who have only won nine games in that period.
- The away side did manage to come away with a point in the reverse fixture, holding Simeone’s team to a 1-1 draw.
- Both teams have found the back of the net in four out of the last five meetings.
- Rayo Vallecano have only won one out of their last nine league games.
- Atletico Madrid have not lost any of their last 17 meetings against the visitors (13 wins).
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann
While Diego Simeone has added a lot of young stars to their ranks in recent years, the 34-year-old remains the most important player for the Argentine manager. He has been involved in a total of 47 matches this season and has contributed towards 23 goals.
His numbers have taken a massive dip in comparison to last season when he finished with 32 goal contributions. Griezmann has not found the back of the net in any of their last ten league games which is a bit of a shocking stat and he will certainly be eager to finish the season on a high with a few more goals to his name.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
Atletico Madrid might no longer be in the title race, but they will still be eager to finish the season on a high. Having lost to Las Palmas last time out, Simeone’s side will be looking to produce a strong response against Rayo Vallecano. With the quality they possess across the pitch, the home team should have enough firepower to get the job done.
The visitors, on the other hand, still have plenty to play for as they continue their push for a European spot. However, they are not in the best of form at the moment. Having managed just one win in their last nine league outings, they find themselves in a difficult position and could struggle to cope with the challenge Atletico Madrid will pose at the Metropolitano. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Simeone’s team.
