Atletico Madrid will be looking to end their 2019 in a positive fashion when they travel to Seville on Sunday afternoon to take on an in-form Real Betis side.
Diego Simeone's team are currently fifth in La Liga on 29 points, while Betis sit 12th having gathered 23 points from their first 17 matches of the 2019-20 campaign.
Match preview
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Betis did not make the best of starts to the season, but the Seville outfit will enter Sunday's clash off the back of a fine run of form. Indeed, the club have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, including a 4-0 success away to Antoniano in the Copa del Rey on Thursday night.
In the league, Rubi's side have picked up 10 points from their last four matches, which is a run of results that has moved them into 12th position in the table.
Betis are nine points clear of the bottom three, while they are actually only five points off the top six, meaning that a win this weekend is likely to see them finish the year in the top half of the division.
The home side ran out 1-0 winners when these two teams last locked horns in February, while Atletico have only actually won two of the last five La Liga meetings, meaning that a victory for Simeone's side on Sunday is far from a forgone conclusion.
Betis, who finished 10th in Spain's top flight last term, also held Real Madrid to a goalless draw earlier this season, but they did suffer a 5-2 loss away to Barcelona at the end of August.
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Atletico, meanwhile, are currently fifth in the table with 29 points to show from their 17 matches. They are seven points behind the top two - Barcelona and Real Madrid - at this stage but that gap could become bigger should they fail to pick up a positive result against Betis.
The capital giants have only won seven of their 17 league matches this season, which is the joint-lowest number in the top nine. Only Real Madrid (1) have lost fewer matches than Atletico (2) but too many draws mean that the club are not really in the title argument at this stage.
The Red and Whites recorded a 2-0 win over Osasuna last weekend, although that was their first league success since November 10. What's more, they have not been victorious on their travels in Spain's top flight since the end of September, drawing each of their last five.
It is difficult to imagine Atletico catching both Barcelona and Real Madrid at this point; Sevilla in third are just two points away, though, and the capital side will still feel that they are the third best team in the division.
Goals continue to be a problem, though, with just 18 to show from their 17 matches. To put that number into context, only five teams have scored fewer in the entire division.
Real Betis La Liga form: DLWWWD
Real Betis form (all competitions): LWWWDW
Atletico Madrid La Liga form: DWDLDW
Atletico Madrid form (all competitions): DLLDWW
Team News
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Betis will again be without the services of Juanmi and William Carvalho through injury, while Sidnei and Alfonso Pedraza are again expected to miss out for the hosts.
The likes of Marc Bartra, Joaquin, Alex Moreno, Nabil Fekir and Sergio Canales will return to the XI having been left out of the starting side for Thursday's Copa del Rey clash.
Loren Moron, meanwhile, could get the nod over Borja Iglesias in the centre-forward position.
As for Atletico, Stefan Savic and Diego Costa remain on the sidelines through injury, but there is a chance that Vitolo could return from a groin problem to make the squad.
Alvaro Morata is again expected to be joined by Joao Felix in the final third of the field, although there could be a change in the wide positions with Angel Correa battling to replace Thomas Lemar.
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Joel; Emerson, Feddal, Mandi, Moreno; Fekir, Canales, Bartra, Kaptoum, Joaquin; Moron
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Trippier, Felipe, Gimenez, Lodi; Koke, Thomas, Saul, Correa; Morata, Felix
We say: Real Betis 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico will fancy their chances of picking up all three points in Seville, but it is difficult to back an away victory due to the form that Betis have shown in recent weeks. We fancy a low-scoring draw on Sunday afternoon, which would not be the worst result in the world for either team.
Matt Law
