Atletico Madrid will be aiming to make it seven straight wins in all competitions when they continue their 2024-25 La Liga campaign with a clash against basement side Real Valladolid on Saturday night.
Diego Simeone's side are third in the La Liga table, five points behind the leaders Barcelona, while Real Valladolid are 20th, having only picked up nine points from their opening 14 matches of the season.
Match preview
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Real Valladolid have won two, drawn three and lost nine of their 14 La Liga matches this season, with a total of nine points leaving them at the bottom of the division, three points behind 17th-placed Las Palmas.
The White and Violets have the worst defensive record in Spain's top flight this season, conceding 27 times in their 14 matches, while they will enter this match in disappointing form, picking up just one point from their last four games.
Real Valladolid held Athletic Bilbao to a 1-1 draw in their last match in front of their own fans on November 10, but they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Getafe on their return to duty following the November international break.
Paulo Pezzolano's side finished second in the Segunda Division last season to secure a return to the top flight, and they are now aiming to make it back-to-back campaigns at this level for the first time since 2021.
Real Valladolid have lost each of their last five La Liga matches against Atletico, including a 5-2 defeat in the corresponding match during the 2022-23 campaign.
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Atletico, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 6-0 win over Sparta Prague in the Champions League, which made it six straight victories for the capital giants in all competitions.
Simeone's side have now won their last two European matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Sparta, while they have been victorious in their last three in the league against Las Palmas, Mallorca and Alaves.
Atletico actually trailed 1-0 to Alaves last weekend, with Jon Guridi scoring from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, but Antoine Griezmann levelled the scores with a spot kick of his own in the 76th minute, before Alexander Sorloth came up with the winner for the Red and Whites in the 86th minute of the contest.
The capital side now boast a record of eight wins, five draws and one defeat in their 14 league matches this season, which has left them in third spot in the table on 29 points, five points behind the leaders Barcelona.
Atletico once again have the best defence in La Liga, shipping just eight goals in their 14 matches, but they have found the back of the net on just 21 occasions, which is only the fifth-best attacking record in the division.
Team News
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Real Valladolid will again be without the services of Selim Amallah due to a muscular problem, but the home side are otherwise in excellent shape heading into their clash with Atletico.
Head coach Pezzloano is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the defeat to Getafe last time out, but there could be a change in midfield, with Mario Martin likely to replace Stanko Juric.
Mamadou Sylla has scored twice in La Liga this season, and the 30-year-old is again set to lead the home side's line.
As for Atletico, Nahuel Molina and Thomas Lemar will miss the match due to injury problems, while Robin Le Normand remains a major doubt, with the defender making slow progress in his recovery from a serious head injury.
Simeone is expected to make a couple of changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Sparta, with Griezmann and Koke likely to be introduced into the side.
Giuliano Simeone should retain his spot down the right for Atletico, while Angel Correa is likely to have to accept a spot on the bench once again despite scoring a late brace in the Champions League last time out.
Real Valladolid possible starting lineup:
Hein; Perez, Bah, J Sanchez, Ozkacar, Rosa; Moro, Martin, Perez, Tuhami; Syllla
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Gallagher; Griezmann, Alvarez
We say: Real Valladolid 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico have only won three of their seven away La Liga matches this season, but Real Valladolid have been victorious in just one of their seven games on home soil, and we are struggling to see anything other than a comfortable away success in this clash.
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