The impressive Wanda Metropolitano stadium will host an interesting La Liga match on Sunday evening as Atletico Madrid welcomes Valencia.
Atletico currently holds the fourth position in the La Liga standings with 41 points from 20 matches this season. On the other hand, Valencia sits at seventh place with 32 points from their first 21 fixtures of the 2023-24 campaign.
Match preview
Atletico secured their spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Sevilla on Thursday. Memphis Depay scored the winning goal in the 79th minute.
Diego Simeone’s side also claimed a 1-0 win against Granada in their last league match on Monday, which kept them in fourth place. They have accumulated 41 points from 13 wins, two draws, and five losses in 20 matches.
Currently, Atletico is tied on points with Athletic Bilbao for fifth place and they are 11 points behind the league leaders Girona. As of now, Atletico is not in the race for the title.
While Atletico sees the Copa del Rey as their best chance to win silverware this season, they are also competing in the Champions League knockout stage. They will face Inter Milan in the first leg of the round of 16 on February 20.
At home in the league, Atletico has been strong this season, winning nine and drawing one out of their 10 matches. However, Valencia will enter Sunday’s match with confidence due to their excellent run of form.
Valencia has emerged victorious in their last four league matches, including a 1-0 win over Athletic last weekend. They have remained unbeaten in La Liga since the beginning of December.
Valencia’s strong performance has propelled them to seventh place in the table, just three points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad. They are in contention for a European finish.
Last season, Valencia finished in 16th position, which was their joint-worst final standing since being relegated in the 1985-86 season. However, they finished fourth as recently as the 2018-19 season. A top-six finish this season would be a significant achievement for Ruben Baraja’s relatively inexperienced squad.
In their previous encounter this season, Valencia secured a 3-0 victory over Atletico. However, when they visited Wanda Metropolitano last season, they suffered a 3-0 defeat. Valencia has not beaten Atletico away from home in La Liga since February 2011.
Atletico Madrid La Liga form: W L D W L W
Atletico Madrid form (all competitions): L W L W W W
Valencia La Liga form: L D W W W W
Valencia form (all competitions): W W W W L W
Team News
Atletico will be missing two first-team players, Cesar Azpilicueta and Thomas Lemar, due to injury.
There were no new injury concerns from the Copa del Rey match against Sevilla, so a similar starting XI is expected for this match.
The only potential change could be in central midfield, where Marcos Llorente is pushing for a return. Despite scoring against Sevilla, Memphis Depay may have to settle for a spot on the bench, as Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata are the preferred starting front two for Atletico.
Valencia will be without Andre Almeida due to a back problem, while Sergi Canos suffered a hamstring injury in their last match against Athletic.
Javi Guerra could potentially replace Canos in a wide position, with Diego Lopez and Hugo Duro leading the attack for the in-form visitors.
Valencia will also have to manage without Selim Amallah and Mouctar Diakhaby, who are representing Morocco and Guinea respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Possible starting lineups
Atletico Madrid: (3-4-2)
Oblak;
Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso;
Molina, Llorente, Koke, De Paul, Lino;
Morata, Griezmann
Valencia: (4-4-2)
Mamardashvili;
Foulquier, Mosquera, Paulista, Gaya;
F Perez, Guillamon, Pepelu, Guerra;
Duro, D Lopez
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Valencia
It has been almost 13 years since Valencia last won an away game against Atletico in the league. Considering Atletico’s strong home record this season, it is difficult to bet against them.
We expect a close game, with Atletico coming out on top with a narrow victory.
