Atlético wants to stop its fall before the break
The rojiblancos, without Giménez or Joao Félix due to suspension, will seek against a lively Mallorca to put an end to doubts and end their crisis of results
MADRID, 8 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid visits RCD Mallorca this Wednesday (9:30 p.m.) on matchday 14 of LaLiga Santander, a duel in which it arrives with more shadows than lights and in which it will seek to stop its fall in recent weeks against a vermilion team that lives in a state of tranquility and happiness and who wants to put the icing on the cake for a more than correct last stretch before the break.
Diego Pablo Simeone’s team lives, at this start of the season, in irregularity. Since life got complicated in Europe against Bayer Leverkusen, trusting everything to a miracle in the form of a victory in Porto that did not come, the mattress team has not raised its head. Also very touched by the elimination of any European competition this year, the rojiblancos chained four games without knowing the victory.
A crisis of results that causes winning to become an urgency for the Argentine’s pupils, in order to follow in the wake, already quite far, of the two most serious contenders for the title. And it is that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have a distance of eight and ten points, respectively, on the colchoneros.
Atlético aggravated their bad moment this Sunday with a new setback in the form of a draw (1-1) against Espanyol at home, in a match in which their rival played a long time with ten and in which only Joao Félix avoided a fiasco Major when scoring after coming off the bench. Although a more committed team was seen, the Madrid team continues without starting and without solutions to a depression that is beginning to last too long for their objectives and aspirations.
The return to its original and fruitful 4-4-2 against Espanyol did not recover the essence of an Atlético without identity so far this season, too weak in defense and inaccurate in attack. But it seems that this would be the system chosen again by the Argentine, who does not want any more experiments after the debacle in Porto, with his ‘usual’ warriors playing a leading role.
The only absences for Simeone will be those forced by suspension of José María Giménez and Joao Félix, while the good news could be the return of captain Koke, already recovered from his muscle injury and who could have minutes after a long period of absence that has noticed your team.
Thus, the biggest doubt is to find a substitute for the Uruguayan center-back, with Felipe and Hermoso vying for the position and more options for the second. Morata -a goal in the last nine games- and Griezmann -four games without scoring- would repeat as an attacking duo, and it seems that Saúl, after serving a penalty, could return to midfield, accompanying Llorente, De Paul and Kondogbia.
Despite these two defeats and two draws in the last four games, Atlético visits the Visit Mallorca Estadi as the second best visitor in the competition. Only one defeat -the most recent, 3-2 against Cádiz-, five wins and a draw make up his balance away from the Metropolitan.
A statistic that the rojiblancos cling to like straws, although last year, when their efforts were focused on the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Manchester City, they fell (1-0) on their last visit to Palma.
The vermilion team, which won both games last year, is encouraged after chaining two victories -the last one, of authority and merit, against Villarreal (0-2)- and a draw, a positive streak that they want to maintain for go on ‘vacation’ as far away from the descent as possible.
Javier Aguierre’s team seems to have finally found the way to play that best suits their squad, with a Vedat Muriqi in top form -seven goals in eleven games- that gives meaning to their attack. In addition, his good form is also sustained by an optimal solidity in defense, with only 13 goals in 13 games, being the one that receives the fewest goals of the last ten classified. The ‘Vasco’ has lost Dani Rodríguez, a starter at the Ciutat, and Pablo Maffeo due to suspension.
MALLORCA: Rajkovic; Giovanni, Raillo, Valjent, Copete, Jaume Costa; Baba, Antonio Sanchez, Ruiz de Galarreta; Kang-In and Muriqi.
ATLETICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Molina, Savic, Beautiful, Reinildo; Llorente, Kondogbia, DePaul, Saul; Griezmann and Morata.
–REFEREE: Melero Lopez (C. Andaluz).
— STADIUM: Visit Mallorca Stadium.
–TIME: 21.30/DAZN.
