Two teams that would have been disappointed with their efforts to this point in the season will do battle this coming weekend. Atletico Madrid and Valencia both find themselves locked in a battle for a top four-space, but it looks increasingly unlikely that both will be playing their football in the Champions League next season.
Valencia vs Atletico Preview
It has been a competitive season in La Liga this term, but two sides that have flattered to deceive have been Valencia and Atletico Madrid. The two Spanish giants have been inconsistent throughout the season so far, and will be looking to get their campaign back on track at the Mestalla this weekend.
Atletico are rueing their decision to allow Antoine Griezmann to leave the club, as none of their strikers have managed to record ten goals this season. Diego Simeone’s side are struggling badly in front of goal, as they have only scored 23 goals in their league fixtures to this point. Defensively, Simeone’s side are strong, but they don’t have the players in the final third to compete with Barcelona or Real Madrid. Over the course of their last five games, they have won twice and lost twice. However, they go into this fixture against Valencia with a win behind them, as they managed to edge past Granada 1-0. It was underwhelming, but this new-look Atletico side aren’t as good to watch as those in years gone by.
Valencia are still in the hunt for a top-four place this season, but they will need to improve their consistency. The hosts will go into the fixture as the 2.09 outsiders with BetXChange. They are just three points behind Atletico, which means a win could put them level on points with their opponents. Unlike their opponents this weekend, Valencia do have a pretty impressive scoring record as they have scored 33 goals so far this season. However, their issues are defensive, as they have conceded 32 goals this campaign. In their last five league games, they have lost twice and won three times. Their winning run was brought to an end last time out as they were beaten emphatically by Getafe. Valencia failed to get a shot on target in that game and went down 3-0. They will have to play much better against Atletico.
Valencia vs Atletico: Head To Head
Atletico holds a dominant advantage in the overall record between the two sides as they have won on 15 occasions. Valencia have recorded nine wins, and there have been 13 draws. The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw. Diego Costa put Atletico ahead, before Daniel Parejo equalised with ten minutes remaining.
Who Wins?
This could be a cagey affair between two sides that will not want to lose. A defeat for Atletico will likely take them out of the Champions League places, while Valencia’s top-four hopes will be severely harmed if they are beaten. It could be a likely result that both teams would be happy to get a draw.
