Elche vs. Atletico Madrid: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape La Liga Game
On the back of four consecutive victories in all competitions, Atletico Madrid travel east to the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero to take on Elche in La Liga on Saturday.
For the visitors, the clash represents an opportunity to place pressure on title rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, with this being the opening match of the weekend.
But despite the fixture looking like it could be straightforward for the defending champions, manager Diego Simeone will be eager to see a vastly improved performance from the laboured midweek victory over Segunda B outfit L'Hospitalet in the Copa del Rey.
Across the following slides, we examine the key issues and selections that will shape Saturday's clash.
Gabi's Return from Suspension
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Atletico Madrid captain Gabi will return from suspension on Saturday, after his sending off against Malaga saw him miss out on his team's victory over Deportivo La Coruna.
In his place, the emerging Saul Niguez put in another strong performance, which included a goal, but Gabi's return to the midfield is a boost for Diego Simeone, who will want to recall his first-team regulars after the subpar showing from his second-stringers against L'Hospitalet.
Likely to take his place alongside Tiago in the heart of Atleti's formation, the veteran's presence will bolster the midfield in this important clash away from the Vicente Calderon.
Atletico Madrid's Away Form
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While a clash with an Elche outfit that has won just once in 11 games in all competitions might seem straightforward for Atletico Madrid, this isn't a match that can be taken lightly by Los Colchoneros.
After all, they visited San Sebastian to face Real Sociedad in similar circumstances last month and left with a 2-1 defeat.
Indeed, only Atleti's dominance at home has softened the impact of their indifferent form on the road, where they've dropped eight points already this season and lost two of their last three games in La Liga.
Complacency against an inferior side, therefore, must be avoided.
Diego Simeone's Choice of Formation
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One might expect Diego Simeone to send his side out in a very attacking manner on Saturday, given the inferior stature of their opponents.
There'll certainly be a sense of eagerness to see the manager deploy either the 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 we've seen at various stages this season—the aggressive systems that have propelled Atleti to some of their best performances of the campaign.
But Simeone is a pragmatist; the result is the only thing of significance for the Argentine.
Thus, having already dropped a significant number of points away from home this season, expect Atleti's fiery leader to not take any chances on Saturday and send out his characteristic 4-4-2 against Elche.
Put simply, the aesthetics of the performance won't mean anything to Simeone.
The three points will.
Elche's Left vs. Atletico Madrid's Right
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One of the key battles in this clash is likely to take place on one sideline, given that Elche tend to attack down the left and Atletico Madrid are most potent down the right.
The likes of Edu Albacar, Victor Rodriguez and Coro often lead Los Franjiverdes' moves forward from their left-sided starting berths, with left-back Albacar already tallying two goals and an assist this season.
But the hosts' tendency to push forward on that side could play into the hands of Atletico, who've developed an exciting combination in Juanfran and Arda Turan down the right, which has quickly become the key component in the construction of the team's attacking sequences.
With the talented Koke often coming across to join the pair, Elche's preferred avenue in attack could also be exposed as their biggest weakness defensively.
Atletico Madrid's Fresh First-Team Stars
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While Wednesday's performance in the Copa del Rey against L'Hospitalet was hardly impressive, one of the positives to come out of that match was the rest afforded to the bulk of Atletico Madrid's first-team stars.
Having had their feet up during the week, the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Arda Turan, Koke, Tiago, Juanfran, Cristian Ansaldi, Diego Godin and Miguel Angel Moya should travel to Elche feeling extremely fresh.
And given the team's results after midweek clashes this season, that's an important factor for this trip.
Indeed, the bulk of Atleti's dropped points in La Liga this season have come at the end of busy weeks; the draw with Celta Vigo came after the loss to Olympiacos in the Champions League, the loss to Valencia followed the midweek clash with Juventus and the defeat to Real Sociedad was on the back of the victory over Malmo FF in Sweden.
The freshness Atletico's stars will have gained from a week off should help Diego Simeone's men avoid a slip-up.
