While Atletico Madrid do not really have anything to play for, there is a lot at stake for Deportivo Alaves, who are 17th on the table. The hosts will have to secure a positive result to ensure they stay out of the drop zone.
Alaves have accumulated 34 points in their 33 outings, and they are just two points above 18th-placed Las Palmas. Having secured four points in their last two outings, the Basque outfit have certainly given themselves much-needed hope for survival but the job is far from done.
With just five games to go, the home team need to keep racking up points to ensure they stay in the Spanish top flight. While the win over Real Sociedad would have given them a lot of confidence, going up against Atletico Madrid won’t be that easy for Alaves.
The visitors are third on the table with 66 points in their 33 outings. They are 12 points clear of the team in sixth, which means UEFA Champions League football is almost a certainty. With Barcelona ten points clear at the top, Diego Simeone’s team do not really have much to play for. However, they will still be eager to finish the season on a high.
While the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Las Palmas was a shocker, they did return to winning ways against Rayo Vallecano. It was a dominant display from Los Rojiblancos, and they will hope for something similar in this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Alaves will be without the services of Abdel Abqar who is out injured. Apart from Moroccan international, everyone else is expected to be fully fit for this fixture.
The home team will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, but there could be a couple of changes to the XI that started in their last out. Antonio Sivera will continue in goal, while Nahuel Tenaglia and Manu Sanchez will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Facundo Garces will partner with Santiago Mourino.
As for the midfield unit, Ander Guevara and Antonio Blanco will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and ensure Atletico Madrid do not dominate the proceedings.
Jon Guridi will take up the number ten role, while Tomas Conechny and Carlos Vicente will feature on the flanks providing much-needed width to their attacks. Kike Garcia will lead the line for Alaves against Atletico Madrid this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Tenaglia, Garces, Mourino, Sanchez; Guevara, Blanco; Conechny, Guridi, Vicente; Kike Garcia
Diego Simeone could finally have a fully fit squad at his disposal. While Atletico Madrid did secure a thumping 3-0 win last timeout, the Argentine manager could still make a few changes to his squad.
Simeone will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Marcos Llorente and Javi Galan will be the full-backs, while Jose Gimenez could return to the starting XI to partner with Clement Lenglet in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher will feature on the flanks providing support to the full-backs and width to their attacks. Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios will be in a more central role, the duo will look to control the tempo of the game.
Antoine Griezmann, who started on the bench last time out, should be back starting alongside Julian Alvarez in the Atletico Madrid against Deportivo Alaves this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Griezmann
The Argentine World Cup winner is having a sensational debut campaign at Atletico Madrid. While the 25-year-old did not have the best of starts, he did pick up the pace at the halfway mark. Alvarez has been involved in a total of 50 matches, and he has contributed towards 32 goals.
With Antoine Griezmann not at his best this season, Alvarez has been the go-to man for Diego Simeone this season. He has scored a total of 27 goals while averaging a goal every 125th minute. The former Manchester City star will be eager to finish the season on a high, and he will certainly be a big threat for the home team.
Atletico Madrid might not have much left to play for in terms of the title race, but they will be determined to finish the season on a high. With Julian Alvarez in top form and Antoine Griezmann likely to return to the starting XI, Diego Simeone’s side will have more than enough firepower to hurt an Alaves defence that has been vulnerable throughout the campaign.
As for Alaves, the hosts have shown spirit in recent weeks, and they will be hoping to use their home advantage to keep their survival hopes alive. However, going up against a well-drilled Atletico Madrid unit that rarely slips up could prove to be a tall order for Alaves. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Simeone and his charges.
