Atletico Face Crucial Derby Clash with Rayo Vallecano
MADRID, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) – Atletico Madrid enters a critical week of La liga action, begining with a Madrid derby against Rayo Vallecano on wednesday, teh sixth matchday of the season. manager Diego Simeone’s squad views securing victories in both upcoming derbies as essential to maintain realistic title aspirations.
A 1-1 draw against Mallorca over the weekend left Atletico trailing league leaders Real Madrid by nine points. With Real Madrid scheduled to play Levante on Tuesday, that deficit could grow to as many as twelve points before Atletico takes the field at the metropolitano Stadium. Considering Atletico hosts Real Madrid again this Saturday, failure to win both derbies this week would significantly diminish their chances of challenging for the championship.
Simeone will be without striker Alexander Sorloth for Wednesday’s match, following the red card he received in the Mallorca fixture.The coach is also reportedly concerned with the recent form of forward Julian Alvarez, who has yet to find the back of the net as the season’s opening game.
Wednesday’s La Liga schedule also features a matchup between Getafe and Alaves. Both teams will be looking to rebound from defeats suffered over the weekend. While Getafe faced a challenging contest against Barcelona,Alaves’ loss at home to Sevilla was a setback,potentially prompting coach Eduardo coudet to reinforce his midfield for the upcoming game.
Further north, Real Sociedad and Mallorca will clash in San Sebastian, both sides desperate for their first win of the season.Real Sociedad has endured three consecutive losses and faces a difficult trip to Barcelona next weekend. Mallorca, though, demonstrated resilience in securing a point against Atletico Madrid.
Key players to watch in the Real Sociedad-Mallorca encounter include Sociedad captain and forward Mikel oyarzabal, and Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi.
