Atletico Madrid vs. Valencia: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info
Atletico Madrid welcome Valencia to the Vicente Calderon in La Liga on Sunday in what is a pivotal clash in the race for Champions League places in Spain.
After 25 games, these teams are separated by just one point on the Primera Division table and sit third and fourth, respectively.
Essentially, Sunday's encounter is a six-pointer.
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For Diego Simeone's men, it's vital that they rebuild some momentum, having won just one of their last four games in all competitions to stutter a little at a critical juncture.
Making their task more difficult against Los Che will be the absence of Antoine Griezmann and Miranda, both of whom picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season last weekend against Sevilla and will serve one-match suspensions.
With the Frenchman missing, either Raul Garcia or Fernando Torres is likely to step in and partner Mario Mandzukic up front, while Jose Gimenez will join compatriot Diego Godin in the centre of Simeone's back four. ESPN FC's Nicholas Rigg and WhoScored.com highlight key aspects of Atleti's difficulties:
Valencia, meanwhile, come into Sunday's meeting in red-hot form after wins in six of their last seven games in La Liga. Having put space between themselves and Sevilla in fifth, Nuno Espirito Santo's men are now looking ahead and targeting Atletico in third.
But Valencia will likely travel to capital without defender Nicolas Otamendi, who's perhaps been the team's outstanding player of the season.
According to Heath Chesters of Inside Spanish Football, he's extremely doubtful for the game at the Vicente Calderon after suffering an ankle sprain against Real Sociedad. Lucas Orban will likely replace the Argentinian.
Nuno might also be reluctant to use striker Paco Alcacer, who, having been sidelined since early February, said at a news conference on Wednesday that his knee was "not 100 percent" yet. Valencia CF noted Otamendi's return to "full training," while Inside La Liga passed along the unfortunate news that Alcacer will miss the road trip to Atletico Madrid:
Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET/9 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
| D: 0-0 vs. Sevilla | W: 2-0 vs. Real Sociedad |
| L: 0-1 vs. Bayer Leverkusen | W: 2-1 vs. Cordoba |
| W: 3-0 vs. Almeria | W: 1-0 vs. Getafe |
| L: 0-2 vs. Celta Vigo | W: 2-1 vs. Espanyol |
| W: 4-0 vs. Real Madrid | L: 0-1 vs. Malaga |
| W: 3-1 vs. Eibar | W: 3-1 vs. Sevilla |
Predicted Formations
Players to Watch
Look out for a big performance from Mandzukic against Valencia on Sunday.
After Atletico's draw at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last weekend, Marca's A.R. Barbero and L. Aznar wrote that Simeone had subtly directed criticism at the Croatian for his underwhelming performance as a substitute against Sevilla after being left out of the starting XI.
According to the Madrid-based writers, Simeone's displeasure centred on Mandzukic's lack of intensity without the ball.
And whether Simeone's words were taken out of context or not is largely irrelevant; Atleti's centre-forward will be eager to respond with a strong performance after being benched in Andalusia.
Given his combative style and excellent record at home this season, you'd expect him to do so.
For Valencia, keep an eye on Jose Gaya.
A blistering left-back in the same mould as Barcelona's Jordi Alba, the 19-year-old has impressed many this season and is said to be a target of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Currently in the middle of contract negotiations at the Mestalla, Valencia are in a rush to secure the long-term services of Gaya, who's already on the radar of Spain manager, Vicente del Bosque.
Coming to one of the capital's big clubs for the first time this season, the attention on the emerging full-back will heighten further if he cuts apart Atletico in the way he did to Real earlier this season at the Mestalla.
Key Battle
Can Atletico's midfield re-establish some control? That's the biggest question ahead of Sunday's meeting with Valencia.
In Galicia against Celta Vigo, Simeone's central combination was overrun. In North Rhine-Westphalia against Bayer Leverkusen, the same thing happened. Ditto for the visit to Andalusia to take on Sevilla.
In fact, the only recent game in which Atleti held an edge in midfield was against lowly Almeria.
For Simeone, the form of Gabi and Tiago is a concern. And it's something that needs to change.
Indeed, Nuno's high-energy midfield which could consist of Javi Fuego, Daniel Parejo and Andre Gomes has the ability overrun the hosts in the middle of the pitch, which, if it were to occur, would force Atletico into something that's become familiar recently: defending from deep.
Assisting Los Colchoneros will be Koke's likely return to the starting XI, but Simeone needs much more from Gabi and Tiago in the primary midfield posts to reverse the recent trend of being out-fought in the middle.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Atletico Madrid: 100/161
Draw: 11/4
Valencia: 5/1
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