Having lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Sociedad, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be eager to get things back on track against Elche CF, who are fighting hard to ensure they avoid the drop.
The home team are 18th on the table with 32 points in 31 outings. While the home side have only won seven games all season, two of those wins have come in their last three outings. They are just a point behind 17th-placed Alaves, which means there is a lot to fight for heading into the last seven league games.
Elche secured a 1-0 win over Valencia in their last outing. The visitors had the upper hand for the majority of the game, but Elche managed to keep it tight at the back, and a 73rd-minute strike by Lucas Cepeda was enough to give them all three points.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have lost each of their last three league games, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a massive blow in the final of the Copa del Rey. Despite all their efforts, they lost 4-3 on penalties to Real Sociedad.
Going past Barcelona and securing a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League was a massive boost for them, amidst all their struggles. However, they have not built on it. While they do not have much to play for, Simeone’s men do need to bounce back as they only have a nine-point lead over fifth-placed Real Betis following three straight defeats in La Liga. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team do not have any fresh injury concerns to deal with, but Adam El Mokhtari and Buba Sangare will undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Elche will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where Matias Dituro will take charge in goal. In the heart of the defence, Pedro Bigas will start alongside David Affengruber and Leo Petrot. The trio will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from Tete Morente and German Valera, who will feature as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Aguado will partner with Aleix Febas in the centre of the park. The duo would love to control the tempo, but that is unlikely to happen. They will have a lot of defending to do in this fixture, with Atletico expected to dominate the ball. Alvaro Rodriguez will start alongside Rafa Mir in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Dituro; Petrot, Affengruber, Bigas; Morente, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Capeda; Rodriguez, Mir
Diego Simeone won’t be able to call up Ademola Lookman, Jose Gimenez, and Alexander Sorloth because of injury, while David Hancko remains a major doubt for this fixture. He is expected to make quite a few changes to the XI that started against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final.
The Argentine manager could go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Javier Bonar and Julio Diaz could be the full-backs for this one, while Marc Pubill will pair up with Clement Lenglet in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Rodrigo Mendoza and Johnny Cardoso will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game.
Thiago Almada and Nico Gonzalez will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Alex Baena will take up the number ten role with Julian Alvarez ahead of him as the lone forward.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Oblak; Bonar, Pubill, Lenglet, Diaz; Mendoza, Cardoso; Almada, Baena, Gonzalez; Alvarez
Baena has not made the desired impact at his new club, Atletico Madrid. While he made the move from Villarreal to the Madrid-based giants with hopes of taking his game to the next level, the 24-year-old has not been able to convince Simeone to hand him a prominent role.
While he has been involved in 39 matches, Baena has racked up fewer than 2,000 minutes, and he only has four goal contributions. With the season coming to an end soon, the Spanish international will look to end the campaign on a high note to increase his chances of having an improved role next term.
Atletico Madrid might be going through a difficult phase, but this fixture offers them a solid opportunity to steady the ship. Despite their recent struggles, Diego Simeone’s men still possess enough quality to control proceedings against a side fighting for survival.
Elche, on the other hand, will be full of belief after their recent upturn in form, and they are unlikely to make things easy for the visitors. Their compact setup and fighting spirit could trouble Los Rojiblancos, especially given the latter’s inconsistency away from home.
However, over the course of 90 minutes, Atletico Madrid’s superior quality in the final third should prove decisive as they edge past a resilient Elche side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
