Atlético continues to hunt for second place against Almería
Simeone’s men receive the worst visitor in LaLiga in search of their sixth consecutive victory
MADRID, 15 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid, the best team in the second round, is looking this Sunday at the Cívitas Metropolitano against Almería (6:30 p.m. / Movistar LaLiga), the worst visitor in the championship, for a sixth consecutive victory that will keep them in the fight for the second position in LaLiga Santander and confirm it as the fittest team.
Since their elimination in the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid at the end of February, Diego Pablo Simeone’s men have scored in all the games of the domestic championship, with eight wins -the last one last week in Vallecas (1-2) – and two draws in the ten days after the defeat against the whites. 26 out of 30 possible points. In addition, they have not fallen in LaLiga since January 8, when they fell against FC Barcelona (0-1).
Some numbers that make the team, which has 57 units, the best of the second round, in which it has closed the gap with Carlo Ancelotti’s team (59) to stay just two points; the first of the contenders for ‘Champions’ positions, Villarreal, is also ten points below. Now, second place is already an achievable goal, and even more so if he completes six wins.
“Everything that happened before has no value. The only reality is the one you have to live and the one we are going to live tomorrow from the moment the referee starts the game. We have to focus on reality, and reality is the game of tomorrow. Like everything in life, what is left behind is, and what absolutely matters is tomorrow. Tomorrow they will value us for what we do against Almería”, warned the ‘Cholo’.
Against the Andalusians, the mattress team will again entrust itself to the defensive solidity offered by its traditional line of five back, with Nahuel Molina and Yannick Carrasco on the sides and its wall of three central defenders, made up of Axel Witsel, José María Giménez and Beautiful Mario.
With Marcos Llorente, Koke Resurrección and Rodrigo de Paul in the midfield, the mattress coach will only make changes at the top due to Memphis Depay’s forced absence due to injury. The Argentine Ángel Correa, back to the team after his loss due to the death of his mother, will accompany the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann on top this time.
Without Memphis, Stefan Savic or Reinildo, all injured, Atlético faces an Almería team that needs to continue to distance itself from the burning zone, from which it escaped thanks to its last three rounds scoring points, the last one with a victory against Valencia (2-1).
Right now, Rubi’s men, who have accumulated 30 units, mark the salvation zone with three rentals over the first of the teams in danger, precisely the ‘che’ team. However, their bad numbers at home play against them this Sunday.
They have only collected four of the 39 points that have been put into play away from the Power Horse Stadium, statistics that do not invite optimism and that give them the dubious honor of being the worst visitor in the five major European leagues.
Chumi, who saw the fifth yellow card against Valencia, will have to complete his cycle and will miss the duel, just like the injured Sergio Akieme, El Bilal Touré and Alejandro Pozo, the latter after suffering muscle discomfort this week.
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Multimedia content (graphics): Previous statistics Atlético de Madrid-Almería (J29)
https://www.epdata.es/estadisticas-previa-atletico-madrid-al…
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
ATHLETIC MADRID: Oblak; Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso, Carrasco; Llorente, Koke, DePaul; Griezmann and Correa.
ALMERÍA: Fernando; Puigmal, Kaiky Fernandes, Ely, Babic, Centelles; Melero, Samú Costa, Robertone; Baptistao and Luis Suarez.
–REFEREE: Diaz de Mera Escuderos (C.Spanish-Manchego)
–STADIUM: Cívitas Metropolitano.
–TIME: 6:30 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.