Levante vs. Atletico Madrid: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Atletico Madrid can seal their place in next season's Champions League with a win over Levante on Sunday as long as rivals Real Madrid do them a favour against Valencia on Saturday.
Should Diego Simeone's side succeed in stretching their lead over fourth to seven points, it would be enough to assure them of a spot in Europe's premier competition with only two games of the season remaining.
Atleti's title defence may long have been over, but the La Liga giants will still have eyes on finishing strongly and a visit to Levante will give them the opportunity to end their campaign in control.
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Read on for full preview and all the vital viewing information heading into Sunday's encounter.
| L 3-0 vs. Real Sociedad (A) | D 0-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao (H) |
| W 1-0 vs. Cordoba (H) | W 1-0 vs. Villarreal (A) |
| W 1-0 vs. Getafe (A) | W 3-0 vs. Elche (H) |
| D 2-2 vs. Espanyol (H) | L 1-0 vs. Real Madrid (A) |
| L 3-0 vs. Valencia (A) | W 2-1 vs. Deportivo La Coruna (A) |
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 11 a.m. BST/6 a.m. ET
Venue: Estadi Ciutat de Valencia, Valencia
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)
TV Info: Sky Sports 3 (UK), beIN Sports 2 (U.S.)
Team News
Simeone has no new injury concerns to fret over for this weekend's trip to Valencia, but it's possible the Atleti coach will look to implement some changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Atheltic Bilbao last Saturday.
Among those looking to crack the starting lineup will be Mario Mandzukic and Arda Turan, both of whom started on the bench against Athletic.
Some of Simeone's selections may also be affected by suspension watch, with Guilherme Siqueira and Tiago just one caution away from a one-match ban and the visit of Barcelona just one week away.
The problems are slightly more significant for Levante chief Lucas Alcaraz, who may have to make do without Papa Bouba Diop, who is recovering from an ankle injury.
Two figures sure to miss the tie are Simao Mate and Victor Casadesus, who are each suspended for the visit of Atleti and will miss out on the chance to stage a repeat of last season's 2-0 shock win for the hosts.
Predicted Formations
Levante (5-4-1)
Diego Marino; Ivan Lopez, Tono, Ivan Ramis, Loukas Vyntra, Juanfran; Victor Camarasa, Morales, Mohamed Sissoko, Kalu Uche; David Barral
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2)
Jan Oblak; Jesus Gamez, Juanfran, Diego Godin, Miranda; Koke, Tiago, Gabi, Arda Turan; Mario Mandzukic, Antoine Griezmann
| Levante | 11-2 |
| Draw | 3-1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 5-12 |
| Atletico Winning at HT and FT | 11-8 |
Key Player to Watch
With 12 goals and five assists to his name in his maiden La Liga campaign, Mario Mandzukic is making a steady transition to Spain, even if his numbers haven't been quite as prolific as Simeone may have hoped.
The arrival of Fernando Torres has placed even more pressure on the Croat to succeed, with Spanish newspaper AS revealing one factor that could be stunting his scoring statistics:
Breaking an eight-year streak to become Atleti's least-frequent shooter in a season isn't a tag Mandzukic will want for long and Levante present the forward with a chance to turn things around.
Antoine Griezmann is undoubtedly the in-form attacking asset for Los Rojiblancos of late, but former Bayern Munich star Mandzukic can still be a jewel on his day and will look to exploit a vulnerable Levante back line in proving so.
Key Battle
Ivan Ramis vs. Antoine Griezmann
As aforementioned, Griezmann has been a key player in Atleti's lineup of late, even if it has been a fortnight since he bagged his last goals with a brace against Elche.
Levante centre-back Ivan Ramis is likely to be at the centre of a back five should Alcaraz opt for a bulkier defence, but La Liga's Player of the Month for April promises to be a slippery character:
Morphing from his former role as an out-and-out winger, Griezmann's style of play has adapted to support a more clinical scoring touch this season, but the Frenchman has lost none of his guile.
Ramis can be made to look slow at times and even greater supporting numbers may not help him in keeping Atleti's leading man at bay.
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