Two teams both in need of a win square off in the Spanish capital.
Atlético de Madrid host relegation-threatened Deportivo Alavés on Sunday afternoon in their first league fixture of the new year.
Atlético (11-5-3, 38 points) should be in good spirits after reaching the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a win at Deportivo La Coruña last week. But they have work to do in LaLiga. Atleti begin round 20 in fourth place, looking up at Villarreal as well as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. A victory at the Metropolitano — where Atleti have won 22 of their past 28 league games — to begin the second half of the season would give the Rojiblancos vital breathing room relative to fifth-place Espanyol, which lost 2-0 to Girona on Friday.
Alavés (5-4-10, 19 points) are into Monday’s quarterfinal draw as well, but Chacho Coudet’s men find themselves at the other end of the table, in a relegation that has ensnared close to half of the division. The Basque side has won only one of their past eight league fixtures, having scored just five goals in that span. Only Osasuna have suffered more away defeats than Chacho Coudet’s men, whose last win away from the comfy confines of Mendizorroza was in September.
“They are a team with many top-class players, a big squad, a great coach who has been with them for a long time and uses different systems. We will have to adapt as quickly as possible to whatever comes our way, Coudet told reporters on Saturday. “We are not going to change the way we play, we want to play on the front foot.”
Team news
Diego Simeone is preparing to rest several regulars in advance of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash in Istanbul against Galatasaray. Koke, Julián Alvarez, Álex Baena and Marc Pubill are all expected to begin Sunday’s match from the bench, meaning there will be starting opportunities for the likes of Thiago Almada and Johnny Cardoso, as well as a rare nod (in the league) for Antoine Griezmann.
Nico Gonzalez (hamstring strain) returned to training on Saturday, but he was left out of the squad to face Alavés, meaning his absence will extend to a month. Clément Lenglet (knee sprain) remains unavailable and unlikely to return soon. Simeone has called up three Atlético Madrileño players for this match in Rayane Belaid, Salvi Esquivel and Jano Monserrate.
Atlético’s squad is in desperate need of reinforcement following the departures of Conor Gallagher and Giacomo Raspadori last week. Sporting director Mateu Alemany reportedly is working on signing a midfielder and an attacking player to replace them, but nothing appears all that close with two weeks to go until the winter transfer window slams shut.
Possible 11 Oblak; Molina, Giménez, Hancko, Ruggeri; Johnny, Barrios, Almada, Giuliano; Griezmann, Sørloth.
Category: General Sports
