Both Valencia and Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga last time out, and they will look to build on it when they square off against each other at the Mestalla.
The home team are 12th on the table with 39 points in their 33 outings. While they are five points clear of the drop zone, Valencia cannot afford to relax just yet with five games still to go. Their priority will be to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle, but they could even high a European spot with a late flourish, as they are only five points behind sixth-placed Getafe.
Valencia are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Girona. While they will be confident about their chances, Atletico Madrid will certainly cause them a few problems even though they might not start with a full-strength eleven.
The visitors are fourth on the table with 60 points in their 33 outings. The Colchoneros do not have much to play for as the title is already beyond their reach, and they have a ten-point cushion over fifth-place Real Betis. With the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg coming up in a few days, expect Diego Simeone to start with a second-string team.
After returning to winning ways against Athletic Club in their last league outing, Atletico played out a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League. They might not have been at their best, but they still have enough quality to get the job done against Valencia. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Jose Copete (meniscus injury), Julen Agirrezabala (hamstring), Dimitri Foulquier (knee injury), Mouctar Diakhaby (hamstring), and Thierry Correia (thigh) this weekend.
Valencia will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Stole Dimitrievski will take charge in goal. Renzo Saravia and Jose Gaya will be the full-backs, while Cesar Tarrega will pair up with Pepelu in the heart of the defence.
Luis Rioja and Largie Ramazani will feature on the flanks in midfield. They will look to provide support to the full-backs and width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Javi Guerra will line up alongside Guido Rodriguez in the middle of the park.
The duo will try to ensure Atletico midfielders do not run the show. In the final third, Umar Sadiq will pair up with Lucas Beltran in the strike partnership. The duo will try to make the most out of the limited chances that will come their way.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Dimitrievski; Saravia, Tarrega, Pepelu, Gaya; Rioja, Guerra, Rodriguez, Ramazani; Sadiq, Beltran
The visitors are unlikely to risk Julian Alvarez, who picked up a knock against Arsenal. Apart from the highly-sought after Argentine international, Nico Gonzalez (thigh), Pablo Barrios (thigh), and Jose Gimenez (muscle) are all out injured.
Atletico Madrid will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak should continue in goal. Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will be the full-backs, while Marc Pubill will partner with Clement Lenglet in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to keep things tight, and they will receive significant support from the four in front of them. Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena will take charge on the flanks, while Rodrigo Mendoza could start alongside Koke in central midfield. The duo will look to dictate the tempo of the game.
In the final third, Alexander Sorloth should line up alongside veteran French attacker Antoine Griezmann in the strike partnership this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Mendoza, Baena; Griezmann, Sorloth
Griezmann, who bagged the man of the match award in his last ever UEFA Champions League game at Estadio Metropolitano last time out, will certainly be the one to watch out for. He has 19 goal contributions in less than 2,500 minutes, which is certainly impressive.
More importantly, the Frenchman loves playing against Valencia, having bagged 14 goals against them in his career. He bagged a goal in the reverse fixture and found the back of the net in their last league outing. Given his track record against Valencia and his recent form, the 35-year-old could have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
12th-placed Valencia host fourth-placed Atletico Madrid at the Mestalla on Saturday, with both sides fresh off wins. However, the visitors could make a few changes to their preferred XI ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg.
The visitors have owned this fixture lately, winning the last four league meetings, including 2-1 at home earlier this season, and only one loss in their last five Mestalla trips. The Madrid-based giants will look to build momentum ahead of the UEFA Champions League second-leg with a win in this fixture.
While it won’t be a straightforward outcome, the Colchoneros could grind out a positive result. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Diego Simeone and his charges.
