Atletico Madrid vs. Levante: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Liga Game
With the Christmas break coming to a close in Spain, Atletico Madrid return to action in La Liga this weekend with a clash against Levante at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.
For the hosts, this match represents an important opportunity, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid facing difficult away games on Sunday at Real Sociedad and Valencia, respectively.
Rested and buoyed by their impressive 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames prior to the break, Diego Simeone's men are positioned nicely to place some pressure on their title rivals with an early blow in the opening fixture of the new year.
Across the following slides, we examine the key issues and decisions that will shape Saturday's clash.
Return of Mandzukic and Koke from Suspension
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It was an impressive indication of Atletico Madrid's depth when the Spanish champions secured a 4-1 victory away to Athletic Bilbao prior to the Christmas break without the presence of suspended stars Mario Mandzukic and Koke
In attack, the Croatian is the club's leading scorer since his switch from Bayern Munich, and although he's not quite as dynamic as Diego Costa, Diego Simeone has built his side to play to Mandzukic's strengths this season.
And in midfield, Koke has been the driving force of the Atletico machine this season, taking over from Gabi as Simeone's dominant figure centrally and being the architect of so many of the team's moves forward.
After securing an emphatic triumph without the pair in Basque country before the break, the return of the two stars will have the home side surging with confidence as Levante prepare to visit the Vicente Calderon this weekend.
Atletico's Quest for Revenge Against Levante...
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During the closing weeks of the 2013-14 season, Levante landed what appeared at the time to be a monumental blow to Atletico Madrid's title bid.
When Diego Simeone's side travelled to the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia last May, they suffered a disastrous 2-0 loss to the hosts, who managed to match Atleti for physicality and power in midfield—a fact that wasn't helped by Filipe Luis' early own goal.
Earlier in the season, Levante also pushed the eventual champions all the way in a tense 3-2 victory for Los Colchoneros at the Vicente Calderon.
But the Valencian's aren't the same outfit in 2014-15—they've fallen back—and one senses that Simeone will prepare his side to be at their ruthless and ferocious best on Saturday as they look to atone for that stinging defeat in May.
... and No Keylor Navas This Time Around
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Though Atletico Madrid were outplayed in that loss to Levante late last season, the result could have been very different had the outstanding Keylor Navas not been on hand to repel the visitors.
With seven saves on the day, per WhoScored.com, the Costa Rican was at his finest in a display that was a precursor for his World Cup campaign and eventual move to Real Madrid last summer.
But this time around, Atletico won't have to battle past the incredible Navas, whose absence is being keenly felt at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. Last season Levante had the tightest defence of any team outside the top four in La Liga; this season their defence is the third worst (by goals conceded) in the league.
As Atleti steel themselves to make amends for last season's defeat, the absence of Navas will be a huge boost for the men from the capital.
Atletico's Impressive Record When Returning from Breaks
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As we've mentioned on numerous occasions recently, the bulk of Atletico Madrid's problems in La Liga have come immediately after mid-week clashes in the Champions League.
Essentially, Atleti have looked laboured when forced into short turnarounds between pivotal games.
But when they've been afforded the chance to rest and freshen up, Diego Simeone's men have been supreme.
After the first international break of the season in September, they defeated crosstown rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
After the October break, they returned with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol.
And after the November break, they came back to cruise past Malaga 3-1.
Having had the chance to rest over the Christmas period, expect Atletico to harness the full extent of their fire on Saturday.
Diego Simeone's Choice of Forwards
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Against Athletic Bilbao prior to the Christmas break, we finally saw Antoine Griezmann given the chance to sparkle as the leading player in Atletico Madrid's attack.
Though it took Mario Mandzukic's absence to force the issue, it was an indication that the precocious Frenchman can be every bit as influential as the club hoped when it splashed out €30 million to prise him from Real Sociedad.
Now, as action in La Liga returns in the new year, Diego Simeone has a choice to make: Does he try to build on Griezmann's stunning hat-trick at the San Mames and increase his team's diversity in attack, or return to the familiarity of Mandzukic and Raul Garcia up front?
Frankly, we hope he opts for the first option.
For Griezmann, at his best, can be dazzling to watch.
