Atletico Madrid vs. Villarreal: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Stream, TV Info
Wins over Eibar and Getafe have managed to get Atletico Madrid's season back on track after their little four-game wobble, and on Sunday they'll seek to keep that form up when they host a top-four-chasing Villarreal.
History tells us to expect a close game at the Vicente Calderon, with each of the most recent four meetings finishing with a 1-0 scoreline—two in favour of Atletico and two in favour of Sunday's visitors.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Marcelino's side have managed to maintain good early-season form that at one point took them to the top of the table, and they now sit a huge eight points ahead of fifth-place Sevilla.
They're also undefeated in their last five league games, meaning Atletico are likely to have to stay patient if they are to break down a visiting team who will probably come with the intention of getting a point and will be delighted if they can leave with one.
Date: Sunday, February 21
Time: 7.30 p.m. GMT/2.30 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid
TV Info: Sky Sports 3
Live Stream: Sky Sports
Last 6 Results
Atletico Madrid
Drew 0-0 vs. Celta Vigo
Drew 0-0 vs. Sevilla
Lost 3-2 vs. Celta Vigo
Lost 2-1 vs. Barcelona
Won 3-1 vs. Eibar
Won 1-0 vs. Getafe
Villarreal
Drew 0-0 vs. Real Betis
Drew 2-2 vs. Espanyol
Won 1-0 vs. Granada
Drew 0-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao
Won 1-0 vs. Malaga
Won 1-0 vs. Napoli
Team News
Atletico Madrid
After waiting five months for his 100th Atletico Madrid goal, it took Fernando Torres just one extra week to get his 101st.
The Atletico icon should start a second consecutive league game given that he now seems to garnered the trust of Diego Simeone, who will be relieved to see that all of his first-choice defence are now fit and able after Diego Godin shrugged off an injury to face Getafe.
The absence of a midweek Copa del Rey or Champions League game (Atletico play PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday) will have allowed Simeone some much-needed time to prepare on the training ground, and he would have been likely to go with a similar lineup to the one that tasted victory last week if Yannick Ferreira Carrasco hadn't limped off injured. He should be replaced by Oliver Torres.
Long-term absentee Tiago is now joined on the treatment table by fellow midfielders Augusto Fernandez and Thomas Partey.
Possible XI: Oblak, Juanfran, Godin, Gimenez, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Saul, Koke, Oliver Torres, Griezmann, Fernando Torres.
Villarreal
Villarreal head to Madrid off the back of a terrific first-leg victory over Serie A high-flyers Napoli in the last 32 of the Europa League on Thursday, and boss Marcelinho would have been tempted to keep the same XI for this clash.
That was the lineup that also beat Malaga 1-0 last weekend, but the Yellow Submarine are likely to be forced into one change after the Mexican midfielder Jonathan dos Santos limped off in the first half of the win over Napoli.
He was replaced by Samu Castillejo, and the 21-year-old should come in here.
Possible XI: Areola, Musacchio, Gaspar, Costa, Ruiz, Bruno, Castillejo, Suarez, Trigueros, Soldado, Leo Baptistao.
Key Players
Atletico Madrid: Fernando Torres
It’s almost as though someone has reminded Fernando Torres that his loan spell at Atletico comes to an end at the end of this season and that he'd better do something quickly if he wants to hang around.
Two goals in two games have coincided with the sale of Jackson Martinez and the suggestion that the goalscoring burden was just starting to weigh a little too heavily around the neck of Antoine Griezmann, who looked way off the pace at Getafe.
If Torres starts, then he'll be a key for Atletico, who could just need his keen eye for goal in what will be a tight clash.
Villarreal: Roberto Soldado
It was the former Atletico forward Leo Baptistao who got the winner when these two last met in September, but given that we've gone for Torres to be Atletico's key man, then let's complete the "former Premier League flops" set with Roberto Soldado for Villarreal.
The ex-Tottenham man scored the only goal of the Yellow Submarines' 1-0 victory over Malaga last weekend, and there is little doubt that a return to his homeland has motivated a forward who scored 24 goals for Valencia in the season before his move to north London.
He still doesn't score as many as he should do, but his clever movement and penalty-area prowess will be needed against La Liga's best defence.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Atletico Madrid – 1/2
Villarreal – 7/1
Draw – 3/1
