Malaga vs. Atletico Madrid: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Nine wins in a row or unbeaten in 15—which sounds the more impressive?
Atletico Madrid fans are having a lot of fun trying to work that out right now, and as Barcelona are away at the Club World Cup, Diego Simeone's side have the perfect chance to enter the 10-day winter break on top of the Liga table when they go to struggling Malaga on Sunday evening.
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The hosts have become infamous in Spain for their struggles in front of goal, with just nine strikes in their 15 matches this season.
They did manage two of those goals in their last La Liga game at Rayo Vallecano last week, but the feelgood factor from that win disappeared with a Copa del Rey defeat to lower-league Mirandes in midweek, meaning that confidence will not exactly be high as Atletico come calling.
Date: Sunday, December 20
Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT/2:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio La Rosaleda, Malaga
TV Info: Sky Sports 4
Live Stream: Sky Sports
Last 6 Results
Malaga
Lost 2-0 vs. Espanyol (Away)
Drew 2-2 vs. Granada (Home)
Lost 2-1 vs. Mirandes (Away)
Drew 0-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao (Away)
Won 2-1 vs. Rayo Vallecano (Away)
Lost 1-0 vs. Mirandes (Home)
Atletico Madrid
Won 1-0 vs. Espanyol (Home)
Won 2-1 vs. Reus Deportiu (Away)
Won 2-0 vs. Granada (Away)
Won 2-1 vs. Benfica (Away)
Won 2-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao (Home)
Won 1-0 vs. Reus Deportiu (Home)
Team News
Malaga
Malaga boss Javi Gracia surprisingly left the Brazilian forward Charles—the scorer of five of their nine goals this season—on the bench at Rayo Vallecano last weekend, but it proved to be a masterstroke as the 31-year-old scored immediately after coming on and contributed to the 2-1 win.
Charles remained on the bench throughout the midweek Copa del Rey loss at home to Mirandes, and so you'd expect him to come back into the side for the ageing Roque Santa Cruz, who made just his fourth appearance of the season against Mirandes.
Marcos Angeleri and Flavio Ferreira are still out injured, whilst Croatian forward Duje Cop could start up front with Charles.
Possible XI: Kameni, Rosales, Albentosa, Weligton, Miguel Torres, Filipenko, Fornals, Juan Carlos, Amrabat, Charles, Cop.
Atletico Madrid
The Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey made his case for inclusion here with a fine performance and the winning goal in the midweek Copa del Rey win over Reus Deportiu, but the 22-year-old might just have to settle for a place on the bench again as Diego Simeone reshuffles his pack in order to get key man Antoine Griezmann back in the side.
Koke was withdrawn just after the hour mark in midweek, when Jan Oblak, Filipe Luis, Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez and Juanfran were all rested.
All should return, with Jackson Martinez and Tiago still out injured.
Possible XI: Oblak, Juanfran, Godin, Gimenez, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Saul Niguez, Koke, Ferreira-Carrasco, Griezmann, Vietto.
Key Players
Malaga: Charles
If you score more than half of your team's league goals almost halfway through the season, then you are sure to be regarded as a key man, and the Brazilian forward Charles will pose a threat to a typically robust Atletico defence on Sunday.
The former Cordoba, Almeria and Celta Vigo forward has scored goals wherever he's been, and if Malaga are going to get anything from this game, then he's going to be crucial.
Atletico Madrid: Saul Niguez
Young midfielder Saul Niguez has become a goalscoring presence in the Atletico side of late, scoring three goals in his last five appearances—against Reus in the Copa del Rey, Benfica in the Champions League and Athletic Bilbao in La Liga last weekend.
Antoine Griezmann will doubtless be grateful of the goalscoring backup, and if Saul can get forward, then Atletico will have an even greater chance of getting the one goal that could prove enough to win the game.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Malaga 23/5
Atletico Madrid 4/5
Draw 13/5
