Atletico Madrid will be bidding to bounce back from their Champions League quarter-final disappointment when they resume their La Liga campaign away to Alaves on Sunday evening.
Diego Simeone's side are currently fourth in the La Liga table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, while Alaves sit 14th, seven points above the relegation zone.
Match preview
© Reuters
Having secured a return to La Liga through the 2022-23 Segunda Division playoffs, this season was always going to be about consolidation for Alaves, and with that in mind, it has been a successful campaign to date.
Indeed, the Blue and Whites have picked up 32 points from their 31 league matches this season courtesy of a record of eight wins, eight draws and 15 losses, and they currently sit in 14th spot in the table.
Luis Garcia Plaza's side are not yet safe from the threat of relegation, but they are in a strong position, sitting seven points above the bottom three with seven games left.
Alaves have only managed to win one of their last nine league matches, though, while they have lost four of their last five and each of their last three against Athletic, Real Sociedad and Granada.
El Glorioso have been relatively solid in front of their own supporters this season, picking up 21 points from their 15 matches, while Atletico have actually lost seven times on their travels in La Liga in 2023-24.
© Reuters
Atletico placed themselves in a solid position to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League, having recorded a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last-eight affair in Madrid last week.
Simeone's side suffered a 4-2 defeat to Dortmund in the second leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday evening to lose 5-4 on aggregate, though, with the Red and Whites being eliminated from the European competition.
Atletico must now switch their focus back to La Liga and their top-four fight, with the capital outfit far from comfortable when it comes to securing a Champions League spot for the 2024-25 campaign.
Simeone's team are fourth, only four points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic, and the two teams will lock horns for a huge match on April 27.
Atletico were 3-1 winners over Girona in La Liga last weekend, and their home form this term has been excellent, picking up 43 points from 16 matches, which is the best record in the division.
However, the Red and Whites only have the seventh-best away record, suffering seven losses from their 15 matches, and they will enter this match off the back of an energy-zapping contest against Dortmund.
Team News
© Reuters
Alaves are again expected to be without the services of Adrian Rodriguez and Aleksandar Sedlar for this weekend's contest, but the Basque outfit have no fresh fitness concerns.
Head coach Garcia is unlikely to make wholesale changes from the side that started against Granada last time out, but Alex Sola and Abde Rebbach could be introduced into the XI.
Samu Omorodion, who has scored eight league goals this season, is on loan at Alaves from Atletico, but he is available to face his parent club this weekend.
As for Atletico, Memphis Depay, Marcos Paulo and Thomas Lemar remain on the sidelines through injury, while Marcos Llorente is suspended following his yellow card against Girona last time out.
Pablo Barrios was suspended for the team's last league game, but he will be available for this contest, and there are expected to be changes from the side that started against Dortmund.
Angel Correa netted off the bench in Germany and could be introduced in the final third of the field, while Samuel Lino and Barrios are also bidding to come into the starting XI.
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Gorosabel, Tenaglia, Marin, Duarte; Guevara, Blanco; Rebbach, Panichelli, Sola; Omorodion
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, Barrios, Koke, De Paul, Lino; Correa, Griezmann
We say: Alaves 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico have won five of the last six La Liga meetings between these two sides, but Alaves did record a 1-0 victory in the corresponding contest during the 2021-22 campaign.
Alaves will certainly be the fresher of the two teams for this match, but we are expecting Atletico to navigate their way to an important three points on Sunday evening.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
