Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Match Preview
Tournament – La Liga
Date – Monday, January 29
Kick-off Time – 01:30 am IST
Venue – Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
Atletico Madrid have had a good 2023-24 campaign so far across competitions. They are fourth in the La Liga table at the time of writing, 11 points behind leaders Girona with a game in hand.
They topped their UEFA Champions League group and will face Inter Milan in the Round of 16. Diego Simeone’s side have also reached the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, where they will host Sevilla on January 26.
Valencia, meanwhile, have improved massively from last season when they finished 16th in the La Liga standings. They are currently seventh and competing for the European slots.
They were eliminated from the Copa del Rey Round of 16 by Celta Vigo and will come into the clash against Atletico being the fresher side.
Also Read: Barcelona vs Villarreal: Preview, Team News, Lineups, H2H, Prediction, Odds and Telecast
Team News
Atletico Madrid are without winger Marcos Paulo and Vitolo, both of whom suffered ACL injuries. Cesar Azpilicueta also recently suffered a Meniscus injury and will be out for a few months.
Meanwhile, Reinildo could return to the squad following Mozambique’s elimination from AFCON. Thomas Lemar could also make a return to the squad.
For Valencia, Mouctar Diakhaby (Guinea) and Selim Amallah (Morocco) are out on international duty at AFCON. Meanwhile, Andre Almeida is recovering from a back injury.
Possible Lineups
Atletico Madrid:
Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak
Defenders: Axel Witsel, Jose Gimenez, Mario Hermoso
Midfielders: Marcos Llorente, Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Saul Niguez, Samuel Lino
Attackers: Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata
Valencia :
Goalkeeper: Giorgi Mamardashvili
Defenders: Dimitri Foulquier, Christhian Mosquera, Gabriel Paulista, Jose Gaya
Midfielders: Hugo Guillamon, Pepelu, Fran Perez, Sergi Canos
Attackers: Diego Lopez, Hugo Duro
Head-to-Head
The two sides have faced off 21 times in the past, with Atletico Madrid winning 16 times. Valencia have won just five times, with 10 encounters ending as a draw.
While Valencia have won just once in their last five clashes, it came in their last game earlier this season as the Mestalla Stadium.
Last five results:
Valencia 3-0 Atletico Madrid – La Liga – September 16, 2023
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Valencia – La Liga – March 19, 2023
Valencia 0-1 Atletico Madrid – La Liga – August 30, 2022
Atletico Madrid 3-2 Valencia – La Liga – January 23, 2022
Valencia 3-3 Atletico Madrid – La Liga – November 7, 2021
Also Read: Mallorca vs Girona Copa del Rey QF: Preview and Prediction
Prediction
Valencia have been in excellent form, losing just once in their last seven games across competitions. They come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win over Athletic Club and will also have over a week to prepare for the clash.
Atletico, meanwhile, have rallied from their 5-3 defeat against Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana earlier this month. They beat Los Blancos 4-2 in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 before beating Granada 1-0.
They will also face Sevilla in the Copa del Rey before facing Valencia. Hence, they might not be at their best.
Predicted Score: Atletico Madrid 2-2 Valencia
Odds (subject to change)
Atletico Madrid win – 1.56
Valencia win – 6.85
Draw – 4.65
Odds source – Oddspedia.com
Players to Watch Out For
Atletico Madrid
Alvaro Morata would be the player to watch out for against Valencia. The 31-year-old striker has arguably gone under the radar this season but has scored 19 goals in 28 appearances across competitions, with 13 in 19 La Liga games.
With Antoine Griezmann, Morata has formed a lethal partnership for Atletico Madrid in attack.
Valencia
For Valencia, the key player could be Hugo Duro. The Spanish striker has netted nine times in 21 La Liga games this season, scoring twice in his last two league games.
Duro also scored a brace in Valencia’s 3-0 win over Atletico back in September and will be expected to deliver the goods again this weekend.
Where to Watch
India – Jio Cinema, Sports 18
UK – ITV
US – ESPN+
Spain- fubo TV