Atletico Madrid vs. Almeria: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream, TV Info
Atletico Madrid welcome Almeria to the Vicente Calderon in La Liga on Saturday, looking to bounce back from last weekend's damaging defeat to Celta Vigo in Galicia.
After their emphatic 4-0 victory over Real Madrid a week earlier, Los Colchoneros had looked set to mount a strong title challenge in the second half of the campaign, but the setback at the Balaidos has left Diego Simeone's men seven points adrift of their league-leading crosstown rivals.
Suddenly, their task looks arduous.
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Positively, Atleti will welcome back Arda Turan and Raul Garcia for Saturday's clash with Almeria, after both missed the encounter with Celta Vigo due to suspension.
Their returns will boost Simeone's midfield that was swamped at the Balaidos and badly missed Koke, who's still sidelined with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Tiago, who was a first-half substitution against Celta, will be fit for Saturday's match, per Tom Conn of Inside Spanish Football, but one feels the manager may opt for caution with the Portuguese veteran ahead of next week's Champions League meeting with Bayer Leverkusen.
Almeria, meanwhile, come into this clash with Atletico on the back of a positive run that has seen the Andalusians grab seven points from a possible nine across meetings with Real Sociedad, Cordoba and Getafe.
Those results have hauled Juan Ignacio Martinez's side out of the relegation zone after consecutive defeats to Espanyol, Valencia and Sevilla had left them in 18th place.
Having returned from international duty with DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations, Thievy Bifouma has given Los Rojiblancos a spark in attack and could line up on the left against Atletico, with striker Tomer Hemed leading the line.
Almeria will also arrive at the Vicente Calderon with confidence after troubling the defending Spanish champions in a number of recent meetings. Earlier in the season, the men from the Estadio Mediterraneos pushed Simeone's side hard in a tight 1-0 loss, and last season, defeated the capital club 2-0.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET/8 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
| L: 0-2 vs. Celta Vigo | D: 2-2 vs. Real Sociedad |
| W: 4-0 vs. Real Madrid | W: 2-1 vs. Cordoba |
| W: 3-1 vs. Eibar | W: 1-0 vs. Getafe |
| L: 2-3 vs. Barcelona | L: 0-3 vs. Espanyol |
| W: 3-1 vs. Rayo Vallecano | L: 2-3 vs. Valencia |
| L: 0-1 vs. Barcelona | L: 0-1 vs. Getafe |
Predicted Lineups
Players to Watch
The absence of Arda Turan in last weekend's loss to Celta Vigo was a huge blow for Atletico, who, without Koke as well, couldn't establish any control in midfield against the Galicians who typically enjoy plenty of possession.
Thus, his return for Saturday's meeting with Almeria will be critical at the Vicente Calderon, with the Turk possibly set to assume Koke's starting position on the left instead of his more customary right-sided berth.
Given that Simeone's team will be looking to re-establish a rhythm ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, expect Turan to be at the centre of every attacking move for Los Colchoneros.
For the visitors, wide man Edgar is a unique package—a player with decent pace and finishing skills, but who also stands 6'2.
As he showed recently against Getafe, his threat in attack in multidimensional, with his technical quality complemented by his strength in the air.
On Saturday, the 25-year-old could line up on either the left or right, depending on how Martinez wants to shape his four-man attack.
Key Battle
In La Liga this season, Almeria rank 18th for average possession at 44.2 percent, per WhoScored.com—a significant difference from Atleti's opponents last weekend, Celta Vigo, who rank fourth in the Primera Division.
As such, the Andalusians will have to find a way to avoid being overrun by Atletico at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday. If they can't, the home side will press high and stifle Almeria in their own half.
When that happens, it's usually game over.
That situation means Verza's role at the base of the visitors' midfield will be critically important—he's the player who steers this team with his distribution and ability to make timely interventions.
If the veteran midfielder can match it with the likes of Gabi and Mario Suarez, Almeria might just be able to cause Atletico some problems of their own.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Atletico Madrid:1/5
Almeria: 14/1
Draw: 11/2
