Deportivo Alaves vs Atletico Madrid

Deportivo Alaves and Atletico Madrid are set to lock horns in an exciting La Liga match-up at the Mendizorrotza Stadium.

Beleaguered by a three-game losing La Liga streak, Alaves come into proceedings anxiously looking over their shoulders after the sides below them picked up at least three points in this sequence. It’s still a position of relative comfort for the home side as they boast a seven-point lead on 18th-placed Cadiz, but manager Luis Garcia Plaza doesn’t want to take any chances. Finding a way out of a form crisis against Atletico Madrid could be a huge ask, especially after ‘El Glorioso’ lost their last two La Liga H2Hs ‘to one.’ But there’s a silver lining as this contest takes place at the Mendizorrotza Stadium, where they’ve held Atletico winless twice in their last three top-flight H2Hs (W1, D1, L1). This is also the venue where they haven’t scored more than once per league match since November.

Visiting Atletico Madrid will bank on Alaves’ scoring woes this weekend as they must pick up the slack after a 4-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund in midweek Champions League action crashed them out of Europe. It’s still early to talk about any kind of pressure on long-serving manager Diego Simeone, but a three-point lead on fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao highlights the importance of beating Alaves. As you’d need to go back to 2002 for the last time Los Colchoneros conceded 2+ goals in an away meeting with this opposition, the visitors will be forgiven for anticipating a third consecutive league victory, regardless of their recent travel sickness. Simeone’s men have only won twice in their last ten away games (D2, L6), conceding at least two goals in their three most recent losses on the road.