Athletic Bilbao vs. Atletico Madrid: Issues, Decisions That Will Shape Liga Game
Fresh from securing progression into the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, Atletico Madrid travel north to take on Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames stadium in La Liga on Sunday.
For Diego Simeone's men, the clash with the Basque outfit is a vitally important one after the disappointing 1-0 loss to Villarreal last weekend that saw Atleti fall seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
The hosts, meanwhile, will be looking to recapture the momentum they had built through November when Ernesto Valverde's men took 13 points from a possible 15 to haul themselves up the league table after a tumultuous start to the season.
That progress, however, has been halted by just one point taken from their last two games.
Across the following slides, we examine the key issues and decisions that will shape Sunday's clash.
Atletico Madrid's Fresh First XI
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As we keep mentioning with regard to Atletico Madrid, all of the team's difficulties in La Liga have come immediately after midweek duties in the Champions League.
The pattern started with the 2-2 draw to Celta Vigo that followed a 3-2 loss to Olympiakos in Greece. Since, Atleti have lost to Valencia, Real Sociedad and Villarreal when returning from their European campaign.
But this week wasn't one of those weeks for Los Colchoneros. Instead, Diego Simeone's men dealt with L'Hospitalet in a Copa del Rey clash on Thursday that was essentially a dead-rubber after the team's 3-0 victory in Catalonia in the first leg.
As such, only Koke and Mario Mandzukic (both suspended for Sunday's game) were involved in the game from Atletico's best XI, meaning the bulk of the team's stars will be well rested for Sunday's meeting with Athletic Bilbao.
When that's been the case, Atletico Madrid have been flawless this season.
Diego Simeone's Willingness to Take a Risk
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It was hard to shake the feeling that Diego Simeone missed a trick in last weekend's defeat at home to Villarreal. On the back of a hard-fought draw with Juventus (keeping in mind the team's difficulties after Champions League matches), the overwhelming sense heading into the clash with El Submarino Amarillo was that Atletico's attack needed an injection of energy to fight off their surging visitors.
Simply, dynamism was needed, either in the form of Antoine Griezmann or Alessio Cerci used near goal, or by utilising an attacking system like a 4-3-3 that bolsters Atleti's forward presence.
Instead, Simeone went with his safest option, using Mario Mandzukic alongside Raul Garcia to lead his trademark and defensively robust 4-4-2.
The move backfired: Atletico looked stagnant in attack and couldn't break down Villarreal, who pinched the game late on through Luciano Vietto.
Now, as his team looks to bounce back against Athletic Bilbao, it will be interesting to see whether Simeone is prepared to take a risk. Will he sacrifice some defensive strength to foster some attacking fluidity? Will he trust the creative Griezmann or Cerci over the industrious Garcia?
We hope he does.
The Battle of Energy and High Presses
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If there's one team in La Liga who can match Atletico Madrid for energy and intensity across 90 minutes, it's Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Bilbao.
Particularly when playing at home, the Basque outfit typically play with a wonderful vitality, pressuring their opponents with a harassing high press.
Interestingly, the 2014-15 incarnation of Atletico Madrid like to do the same.
Now led up front by Mario Mandzukic and not Diego Costa, Los Colchoneros like to push their back four up to the halfway line to control the territory battle, rather than counter-attacking as they did with Costa in the lineup.
Such a situation sets up an intriguing clash between these two teams on Sunday, with the similar styles likely to produce a cagey encounter that will be dictated by the ability of the respective teams to impose their press on the other.
Athletic Bilbao's Reliance on Aritz Aduriz
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One of the reasons why Villarreal were able to topple Atletico Madrid last weekend was the presence of a diverse and balanced attack.
Comfortable when both building patiently and counter-attacking, El Submarino Amarillo own an array of attacking weapons that kept the Spanish champions on edge (Villarreal have six players this season with more than two goals).
Athletic Bilbao, however, don't boast the same prowess going forward.
Currently scoring less than one goal per game, the Basque outfit have relied heavily on Aritz Aduriz (five goals) to score. While that's not a huge problem against lesser opposition, it is against one of the best defensive sides in La Liga who tend to swallow up one-dimensional attacks.
Who Can Overcome the Suspensions?
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The list of suspended players for Sunday's clash is a significant one. For the hosts, Aymeric Laporte (sent off against Real Sociedad) and Ander Iturraspe (five yellow cards this season) will be missing, while Atletico Madrid will enter this game without Mario Mandzukic and Koke (both have accumulated five yellow cards).
Already missing Andoni Iraola and Xabi Etxeita through injury, overcoming the suspensions might prove harder for Ernesto Valverde and Athletic Bilbao, who don't have the same squad depth to turn to.
Indeed, while the absence of Koke and Mandzukic will strip some potency from Atletico, Diego Simeone has forwards in reserve such as Antoine Griezmann, Alessio Cerci and Raul Jimenez to call upon, while Saul Niguez might be used to replace Koke in midfield.
Thus, the balance looks to be in Atletico's favour, but each team's ability on the day to overcome the loss of their key players will play a large part in shaping this contest.
