Atlético wants to tie the Champions League at the Coliseum
The rojiblancos want to finish the job for fourth place against a Getafe without incentives in the quiet and fragile area at home
MADRID, 14 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid visits Getafe this Wednesday on matchday 36 of LaLiga EA Sports 2023-2024, a match in which the rojiblancos seek to close their presence in the next edition of the Champions League, for which they need just one point in the last three days – barring a final catastrophe -, so there could be rotations, against a ‘blue’ team without too many incentives, but that wants to continue its streak against the ‘colchonero’ team to regain its strength at home.
The Coliseum hosts this Wednesday (10pm) the Madrid derby between Getafe and Atlético, with the great attraction of the final battle of ‘Cholo’ Simeone’s team to secure fourth place in the table. Now, they have 70 points with 9 left to play, while Athletic Club is fifth with 62.
A draw in the ‘azulón’ fiefdom would allow them to virtually certify the Champions League, even if the Basques win, since they would then have to resort to an equal overall ‘golaverage’ – the individual one is tied – – which the colchoneros dominate – 25 and 22, respectively–. A situation that forces the people of Bilbao to win the last three games and for the people of Madrid to only get one point out of a maximum of nine, something unlikely, but not impossible.
For this reason, they will have to finish off the task for the Champions League at the Coliseum, after bringing the goal closer with the 1-0 victory against RC Celta with a great goal in the final stretch of the duel from the Argentine Rodrigo de Paul. And, in addition to an always rocky Getafe, Atlético’s rival will be its irregularity as a visitor this season, with only two wins in its last ten outings. The last one, the most recent, 0-1 in Son Moix.
However, visiting the Coliseum has not been a big obstacle for the rojiblancos in recent seasons, in fact, it usually makes Atlético smile. In his last ten league visits to the ‘azulón’ fiefdom, all of them with ‘Cholo’ already on the bench, he has had eight wins and two draws. And Getafe’s last victory over the ‘colchoneros’ at home was in November 2011, so Bordalás has never beaten the rojiblancos in his career (L8 and D3).
Simeone’s pupils have managed to get closer to their identity and essence, based on defensive solidity, thanks to the fact that they have rediscovered their effectiveness – with 1-0 as a result of the last two games – and a clean sheet. And against Getafe, same recipe, although with changes in the eleven.
In a week with three games, and without the injured Thomas Lemar and Nahuel Molina, Simeone is preparing changes in all lines, giving minutes to those who rested against Celta. Thus, Llorente points to the right lane and Lino to the left, with a line behind made up of Witsel, Giménez and Hermoso. In the midfield, Barrios and De Paul point to new developments, while Morata, a substitute this weekend, and Depay fight to be a companion for Griezmann who needs to be essential again.
The most common players could also return to the eleven of the ‘azulones’, after the rotations in the defeat (1-0) against Cádiz, the second in a row for those from the south of Madrid. And their salvation before the final stretch has relaxed those from Bordalás, who must find a goal for the last three days, such as maintaining a ‘top 10’ that now closes with 43 points.
Getafe takes refuge in its competitiveness and performance against the rojiblancos in its last two matches, in which it has managed to achieve two draws. The last of them, in the first round (3-3) and which allowed, through a comeback, to break Atlético’s streak of consecutive victories in the Metropolitano, which remained at 20.
Juan Iglesias, Mauro Arambarri, Domingos Duarte and Borja Mayoral are out due to injury and are not in an eleven to which Alderete will return in the line of five defenders, with the big doubt as to whether the Alicante coach will choose Gastón Álvarez or Diego Rico for the left. Moriba would return to the midfield after he was substituted, while Óscar Rodríguez and Latasa will accompany a vital Greenwood.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
GETAFE: Soria; Carmona, Djené, Alderete, Diego Rico; Maksimovic, Moriba, Milla; Greenwood, Latasa and Óscar Rodríguez.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Witsel, Giménez, Hermoso; Llorente, Barrios, Koke, De Paul, Lino; Griezmann and Morata.
–REFEREE: Melero López (C. Andaluz).
— Stadium: Coliseum.
–TIME: 22.00/Movistar LaLiga.