Atletico Madrid will be eyeing a fourth consecutive win in La Liga when they host Getafe at Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon.
Getafe will look to strengthen their claim for a European spot with a win in this away fixture against giants Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon. Both teams have been in fine form in La Liga, and this promises to be an entertaining clash.
The home team are third in La Liga with 54 points in their 27 outings. While they are level on points with fourth-placed Villarreal, Atletico Madrid have a nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Real Betis. The league campaign might not have gone according to plan, but they can still secure two important titles this season.
The Colchoneros are in the Copa del Rey final, and they look set to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, having smashed Tottenham 5-2 in the first leg of the round of 16. So, Atletico Madrid will be looking to build on their recent results when they face Getafe.
Meanwhile, the visitors are ninth on the table with 35 points in their 27 outings. They have secured a total of 10 wins, and four of those have come in their last five league outings. Getafe are just five points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo.
The Azulones still have a very realistic chance of securing a European spot, but they will have to win games like these to strengthen their case. The visitors are heading into this fixture on the back of wins over Real Madrid and Real Betis, and they will be confident about putting up a similar performance against Atletico Madrid. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will only be without the services of Rodrigo Mendoza (muscular). Apart from the Spanish midfield prospect, everyone else will be available for selection. The Atletico Madrid manager is expected to shuffle the pack and rest his key players against Getafe ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg versus Tottenham Hotspur.
The home side could switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Nahuel Molina and Julio Diaz will be the full-backs, with Jose Gimenez pairing up with Clement Lenglet in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Koke and Pablo Barrios will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure they dominate the ball.
Nicolas Gonzalez and Alex Baena will provide width to their attacks, while Thiago Almada will take up the number ten role. They will look to create chances for Alexander Sorloth, who is expected to lead the line for Atletico Madrid against Getafe on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Diaz; Koke, Barrios; Gonzalez, Almada, Baena; Sorloth
Getafe
The visitors will be without the services of Adu Kamara (muscle), while Juanmi, Borja Mayoral and Davinch will all undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Getafe will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where David Soria will be an automatic pick in goal. Abdel Abqar, Domingos Duarte and Zaid Romero will be the three central defenders for the away team.
The trio will have a lot of defending to do, and they will receive support from Kiko Femenia and Juan Iglesias, who will feature as the wing-backs. As for the midfield unit, Luis Milla will start alongside Djene Dakonam and Mauro Arambarri in the centre of the park.
The trio will have a tough day at the office, but they will try to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half. Finally, Martin Satriano and Luis Vazquez will be the two forwards for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Soria; Abqar, Duarte, Romero; Femenia, Dakonam, Milla, Arambarri, Iglesias; Vazquez, Satriano
Key Stats
- Getafe have won four out of their last five La Liga games, after a run where they had won just six in their first 22 outings.
- Atletico Madrid have won each of their last three league games. Overall, they have won five out of their last six in all competitions.
- Getafe last won an away game against Atletico back in May 2010.
- Atletico Madrid have only lost five out of their last 46 games against the Sky Blues.
- The reverse fixture ended 1-0 in favour of Diego Simeone’s men.
Player to Watch
Alexander Sorloth
The 30-year-old striker might not be a regular starter for Diego Simeone’s team, but he certainly has a very important role. Every time the Argentine manager has handed him a start, Sorloth has lived up to the expectations of the coach.
In the ongoing campaign, the Norwegian striker has been involved in 40 matches, racked up over 2,100 minutes and has contributed towards 17 goals. While he did not score in his cameo against Tottenham, Sorloth found the back of the net in his last league outing, and he will be looking to add to his tally against Getafe.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Getafe
Atletico Madrid will head into this fixture full of confidence after an impressive run of results in recent weeks. Even if Diego Simeone opts to rotate a few players ahead of their European commitments, the hosts still possess enough quality to control the tempo of the game and create problems for the Getafe defence.
However, Getafe have been one of the in-form teams in La Liga of late and will certainly look to make things difficult for the hosts. With confidence high after wins over the likes of Real Madrid and Real Betis, they could pose a threat on the counter.
Even so, Atletico Madrid’s experience and home advantage should help them edge the contest and extend their winning run in the league. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Diego Simeone and his charges.
