Atletico Madrid will be aiming to return to winning ways in Spain’s top flight when they resume thier campaign at home to Alaves on Sunday afternoon.
Diego Simeone’s side are currently fourth in the La Liga table,four points ahead of fifth-placed Espanyol,while the away side sit in 16th spot,two points above the relegation zone.
Match preview
Atletico have had a relatively solid campaign in La Liga, boasting a record of 11 wins, five draws and three defeats from their 19 matches to collect 38 points, which has left them in fourth spot in the division, four points ahead of fifth-placed Espanyol.
A top-four spot is the minimum requirement for atletico at the start of every season, but the Red and whites are not really in a title race this term, sitting 11 points off Barcelona, who are in incredible form at this stage of the campaign.
Simeone’s side have not actually been in league action since drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad on January 4; since then, Atletico have lost to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup and beaten Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 in the Copa del Rey.
The capital outfit are also in a strong position to qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League,currently sitting eighth in the overall table.
atletico, as expected, have again been strong at home in La liga this season, boasting a record of eight wins and one draw from their nine league fixtures in front of their own fans.
Alaves,meanwhile,will enter this weekend’s match off the back of a 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano,with the Basque outfit also qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Eduardo Coudet’s side have not been victorious in La Liga as the start of December, picking up just one point from their last four league games, which came in a 1-1 draw with basement side Real Oviedo on January 4.
El Glorioso lost 3-1 to Villarreal in La Liga last time out, and their away form this season has been very disappointing, picking up only four points from nine matches.
Alaves have finished 10th and 15th in their last two campaigns since securing a return to the top flight, and they currently sit in 16th spot in the division, only two points above the relegation zone.
El Glorioso have only managed to win nine of their previous 34 matches with Atletico in all competitions, but they have lost just one of their last four games against the Red and Whites, while both league fixtures last term finished level.
Atletico Madrid La Liga f