Celta Vigo V Atletico Madrid: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
A week after their emphatic dismantling of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid travel to Spain's north west region of Galicia on Sunday to take on Celta Vigo in La Liga.
For Diego Simeone's men, who are four points behind their league-leading crosstown rivals, it's a vitally important clash in the Primera Division title race, given that both Real Madrid and Barcelona face comparatively easier home fixtures on the same weekend against Deportivo La Coruna and Levante, respectively.
Simply, Atletico can't afford to lose ground on their rivals.
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Complicating matters for Atleti are both injuries and suspensions. Earlier this week, Los Colchoneros confirmed that star midfielder Koke suffered a hamstring injury in the early stages of the clash with Real, while USA Today reports that both Saul (knee) and Diego Godin (broken nose) are also doubtful for Sunday's meeting with Celta Vigo.
Additionally, Arda Turan and Raul Garcia are both unavailable for this weekend's match after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season in last weekend's Madrid derby.
It's a situation that leaves Atletico rather depleted for their trip to Balaidos, and could see Simeone field a midfield consisting of his three holding players in Gabi, Tiago and Mario Suarez if Saul doesn't prove his fitness.
Up front, the manager is also likely to use Mario Mandzukic, Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann in the same formation for the first time, given how short-handed the team will be in attack without Koke, Turan and Garcia to complement the strikers.
All that reshuffling will be welcome news for Celta Vigo, who, after an impressive start to the season, have claimed four points from their last two outings to finally snap the disastrous run of 10 league games in which they scored just two goals to slump to eight losses and two draws in a horribly barren stretch.
In midfield, Nemanja Radoja, who missed last weekend's draw with Real Sociedad, could be ready to return after participating in full training on Thursday, per Tom Conn of Inside Spanish Football, while centre-back Sergi Gomez could again be used at right-back by manager Eduardo Berizzo in place of the injured Hugo Mallo to help the home side deal with Atletico's aerial threat.
Date: Sunday, Feb. 15
Time: 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET/9 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Municipal de Balaidos, Vigo
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
| D: 1-1 vs. Real Sociedad | W: 4-0 vs. Real Madrid |
| W: 1-0 vs. Cordoba | W: 3-1 vs. Eibar |
| L: 1-2 vs. Getafe | L: 2-3 vs. Barcelona |
| L: 0-1 Espanyol | W: 3-1 vs. Rayo Vallecano |
| W: 2-0 Athletic Bilbao | L: 0-1 vs. Barcelona |
Predicted Formations
Players to Watch
On the two occasions Fernando Torres has excelled since his return to Atletico Madrid—against Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Copa del Rey—he's been deployed as Simeone's primary striker with Griezmann flanking him to provide extra pace.
Against Celta Vigo, however, the club's prodigal son will likely line up on the right side of Atleti's attack, with Mandzukic occupying the central position as he has done for most of the season.
If such a situation transpires, it will be a major adjustment for the Spaniard, who's rarely played as a wide forward and is typically more comfortable operating within the width of the penalty area.
At the other end, Celta Vigo striker Joaquin Larrivey, who started the season in sensation form after his move from Rayo Vallecano, has expressed his eagerness to return to the scoresheet against Atletico, per Heath Chesters of Inside Spanish Football, after a goalless run stretching back to the beginning of November.
Physical and strong in the air, the Argentinian will pose a threat to the visitors' defence, but, regardless of which pairing Simeone opts for, he will encounter perhaps the most robust centre-back partnership in La Liga.
Key Battle
If Simeone chooses to utilise a three-man attack with Griezmann starting on the left, the Frenchman's battle with Sergi Gomez could prove pivotal in Sunday's clash.
Gomez, a Barcelona youth product and a central defender by trade, has started at right-back in Celta Vigo's last two matches against Real Sociedad and Cordoba due to Hugo Mallo's injury and could perform the role on Sunday if Berizzo looks to protect his team against Atletico's set-piece threat and dominance in the air.
Griezmann, who's been in blistering form since his hat-trick against Athletic Bilbao in late December, will like his chances of causing Gomez problems with his pace and mobility, and, if the matchup eventuates, will look to drag his opponent out wide before attempting to beat him off the dribble.
Odds (per Odds Shark)
Celta Vigo: 14/5
Atletico Madrid: 11/10
Draw: 9/4
