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Atletico Madrid will be striving for their sixth consecutive La Liga win when they host Alaves at the Wanda Metropolitano this Sunday evening.
Diego Simeone's team currently occupies the fourth spot in the La Liga standings, having accumulated 22 points from their first nine league matches. Meanwhile, Alaves finds themselves in 15th place, having earned nine points from their initial 10 games in the 2023-24 season.
Atletico has played one game less than 18 out of the other 19 teams in the league. This discrepancy is due to their fixture against Sevilla, originally slated for the beginning of September, being postponed due to inclement weather in the Madrid area. Despite this, Atletico's position in the table and points total remains impressive. They've secured seven wins, one draw, and one defeat in nine games, amassing 22 points, which positions them in fourth place, just three points behind the league leaders, Real Madrid. Importantly, they have a game in hand.
Had the Sevilla match proceeded as planned, Atletico could potentially be leading the table right now. With Barcelona and Real Madrid facing each other this weekend, there's an opportunity for Simeone's side to move closer to the top.
Atletico has been in exceptional form, winning each of their last five La Liga matches, including a 3-0 victory away at Celta Vigo in their most recent outing. This remarkable streak comes on the heels of a surprising 3-0 loss to Valencia.
In the Champions League, Atletico faced a scare on Wednesday, as Celtic managed to take the lead twice in their Group E encounter. Nevertheless, the Spanish team demonstrated resilience and secured a 2-2 draw in Scotland, positioning them in second place in their group with five points.
Meanwhile, Alaves find themselves in a challenging situation in La Liga, enduring a six-game streak without a victory in the top Spanish football division. Their most recent win occurred at home against Valencia in early September.
Since then, the Basque team has drawn three matches and lost three, including consecutive 1-1 draws against Real Betis and Villarreal in their two most recent outings, which can be considered somewhat positive results.
Alaves currently holds a record of two wins, three draws, and five losses in their ten league matches this season, accumulating nine points. Unfortunately, this places them in the 16th position on the league table, with only a three-point cushion separating them from the relegation zone.
Under the guidance of Luis Garcia, who led them back to La Liga through the Segunda Division playoffs last season, Alaves has struggled to find the back of the net, scoring just eight times in the league. This goal tally is tied for the second-worst in the league, surpassed only by Las Palmas, who have scored six goals.
In their previous encounter with Atletico Madrid towards the end of the 2021-22 season, Alaves suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Spanish capital. However, during that same campaign, they managed to secure a 1-0 victory in the home fixture against Atletico Madrid.
The Colchoneros currently hold the fourth position in the league standings with a total of 22 points garnered from nine matches. They trail the league leaders, Girona, by six points, albeit having two games in hand. Simeone's squad boasts the league's second-best defense, having conceded only eight goals, and an impressive offense with 23 goals scored.
They are in excellent form, and it will be a challenging task for the visiting team to halt their momentum. The Los Rojiblancos are coming off a 2-2 draw against Celtic in the Champions League, which was not their finest performance. They will undoubtedly aim for a more convincing display against Alaves.
On the other hand, the visitors currently sit in the 15th position on the points table. They've managed to accumulate a mere nine points from their ten matches and have suffered losses in half of their fixtures this season. Alaves has not secured a victory in their last six league games, and they are in dire need of a return to winning form, as further setbacks could exacerbate their situation in the coming weeks.
Alaves enters this fixture following a 1-1 draw against Villarreal. Despite not having much possession, they managed to create some opportunities but lacked their usual sharpness in the final third.
Jan Oblak will retain his position in goal, and the defensive trio will consist of Stefan Savic, Axel Witsel, and Mario Hermoso. They will receive support from the wing-backs Nahuel Molina and Marcos Llorente, who will actively contribute to the attack but prioritize preventing the opposition from exploiting wide spaces.
In the midfield, Pablo Barrios will make his return to the starting lineup, partnering with Koke and Rodrigo De Paul. This midfield trio aims to dictate the tempo of the game and maintain control of possession. Finally, the French international, Antoine Griezmann, will combine with Alvaro Morata in the attacking third. Both players have been in exceptional form this season and seek to continue their impressive performances.
Alaves will deploy a 4-2-3-1 tactical setup, with Antonio Sivera as the goalkeeper. Andoni Gorosabel and Rubén Duarte will assume the roles of full-backs. In the heart of the defense, Abdel Abqar will be supported by Aleksandar Sedlar. Their primary objective will be to maintain a clean sheet against an opponent known for their recent goal-scoring prowess.
Taking up the central midfield positions, Antonio Blanco and Ander Guevara will operate as a double pivot, focusing on protecting the defensive line and initiating counter-attacks. Jon Guridi will take on the role of the attacking midfielder, serving as the main playmaker. He will receive support from Alex Sola and Luis Rioja, who will occupy the wide positions. Leading the forward line for the visiting team is Samu Omorodion, as they aim to cause an unexpected victory.
In contrast, Morata has had a stellar start to the new season, displaying a remarkable goal-scoring prowess. His partnership with Antoine Griezmann in the forward line is unparalleled. The 31-year-old has already scored eight goals in 11 appearances across all competitions. In La Liga, he has found the back of the net five times in eight matches. Morata's current form suggests that he could be the deciding factor in the upcoming game between the two teams.
Atletico currently has a long list of injured players, including Thomas Lemar, Vitolo, Reinildo, Memphis Depay, Jose Gimenez, Samuel Lino, and Memphis Depay.
Head coach Simeone is anticipated to make a few changes to the starting lineup from the Champions League match against Celtic, maybe recalling Pablo Barrios and Marcos Llorente.
Here, Barrios is probably going to go into midfield and Llorente into the left wing-back position. Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata will again be in the last third of the field.
Regarding Alaves, Javi Lopez is anticipated to miss out due to an ankle injury, and Carlos Benavidez and Giuliano Simeone are still not eligible for selection.
Since there have been no new problems reported, head coach Garcia will have been happy with his team's performance against Villarreal last time out, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the same lineup for this game.
This Saturday, Luis Rioja and Alex Sola are anticipated to play in the wide positions once more, with Samu—who scored against Villarreal—likely to be preferred through the middle.
