Atletico Madrid will be aiming to make it five straight wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign against Alaves at Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon.
Diego Simeone's side are currently third in the La Liga table, one point behind second-placed Real Madrid and seven from the leaders Barcelona, while Alaves sit 15th, three points clear of the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Atletico have had their problems this season, notably suffering two heavy defeats in the Champions League, but they have been relatively solid in La Liga, boasting 26 points from their opening 13 matches of the campaign, which has left them in third.
Simeone's team have won seven, drawn five and lost one of their 13 games, scoring 19 times, which is only the joint-fifth best attacking record, but they have the tightest defence, having conceded just seven times.
The Red and Whites were in strong form before the November international break, meanwhile, posting four straight wins, including a 2-1 success over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Atletico lost back-to-back European fixtures to Benfica and Lille in October, so the victory over PSG last time out was a big one, while they recorded a 1-0 win over Mallorca in their last match in Spain's top flight.
The capital giants, who are seven points off division leaders Barcelona, are unbeaten at home in the league this season, picking up 14 points from their six matches, and they will be welcoming an Alaves outfit with just one away victory to their name in La Liga during the 2024-25 campaign.
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Alaves boast a record of four wins, one draw and eight defeats from their 13 La Liga matches this season, with a total of 13 points leaving them in 15th spot in the table, three points above the relegation zone.
No team has lost more matches in La Liga this term, but four wins is a solid return at this stage of the campaign, and the Blue and Whites will be looking to make it successive victories over Atletico, having recorded a 2-0 victory when the two teams last locked horns in April.
Alaves finished 10th in La Liga last term, and they have only spent one of their last nine seasons outside of the top flight, so they are establishing themselves at this level of football.
The Basque side ended October with a 1-0 victory over Compostela in the Copa del Rey before recording a 1-0 win over Mallorca at the start of November, but they entered the November international break off the back of a 3-0 loss to Villarreal.
As mentioned, Luis Garcia's side have struggled on their travels this season, picking up just three points from seven matches, while they have conceded 15 times, which will be a concern ahead of a trip to Wanda Metropolitano.
Team News
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Atletico will again be without the services of Thomas Lemar due to a muscular problem, but Nahuel Molina is expected to recover from a hamstring injury in time to take to the field on Saturday.
Robin Le Normand has made excellent progress in his recovery from the horrific head injury that he suffered in the Madrid derby earlier this season, but the Spain international is still not ready to return to competitive action.
Alexander Sorloth could again find himself on the bench this weekend, with Antoine Griezmann expected to play behind Julian Alvarez in the final third of the field, but there could be a return to the XI for Conor Gallagher.
As for Alaves, Hugo Novoa and Carlos Benavidez remain unavailable for selection through injury, but the visitors are otherwise in strong shape heading into their clash with Atletico.
Head coach Garcia is expected to make a couple of changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Villarreal before the international break, with Carlos Martin likely to feature in a wide area.
There could also be a spot through the middle for Toni Martinez, as Kike Garcia found it difficult to make his mark as the centre-forward in the clash with the Yellow Submarine last time out.
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Reinildo; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Gallagher; Griezmann; Alvarez
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Pica, Sanchez; Guevara, Blanco; Vicente, Guridi, Martin; T Martinez
We say: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Alaves
Alaves, despite their struggles on the road this season, are capable of making this an uncomfortable match for Atletico; Simeone's side are on a roll at the moment, though, and we are expecting them to keep another clean sheet in a routine home success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
