Atlético and Betis put the last ‘Champions’ place at stake
Simeone’s men visit the best venue in LaLiga in search of forgetting the setback against Rayo
MADRID, 22 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid is looking to get back to winning ways in LaLiga Santander this Sunday at the Benito Villamarín (4:15 p.m./Movistar LaLiga) before their vital ‘Champions’ duel, all in a match against Real Betis that they long to leave behind his irregularity to assault fourth place, held by the rojiblancos.
A penalty goal in discount time by former athlete Radamel Falcao frustrated Diego Pablo Simeone’s men in their interweekly league match against Rayo Vallecano (1-1), in which they had managed to get ahead after 20 minutes thanks to a goal from Álvaro Morata .
With the tie, the mattress box ended a streak of three consecutive wins in the domestic competition, even without abandoning the positions of access to the Champions League. With 20 points, he manages the same units as his rival this Sunday, who aspires to displace him from the positions of privilege.
Thus, a good result in the Seville venue would guarantee him to sleep in the ‘Champions’ zone and charge himself with energy before his transcendental clash on Wednesday against Bayer Leverkusen, which he will have to win if he wants to continue with options in the top continental competition.
Without the injured Koke Resurrection, Thomas Lemar and Marcos Llorente and with the doubts of the defenders Sergio Reguilón and Felipe -who have already trained with the group without medical discharge-, the ‘Cholo’ could bet on returning the Slovenian Jan Oblak to the goal, after missing the duel against the Vallecanos due to the shock suffered against Athletic.
Nahuel Molina, Stefan Savic, José María Giménez and Reinildo Mandava will form the defensive line, while Geoffrey Kondogbia and Axel Witsel will start in midfield with Saúl Ñíguez and Rodrigo de Paul or Ángel Correa on the wings.
Above, the French Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata will try to bring danger to the rival area, with the Portuguese Joao Félix waiting for his opportunity again on the bench, from where he has seen the start of the team’s last six games.
Opposite, Real Betis receives the rojiblancos as the best local in LaLiga; Manuel Pellegrini’s men have won their five league games at the Benito Villamarín, where they have won 15 of their 20 points in the competition.
Away from the Seville capital, they have only prevailed in Palma, before falling at the Bernabéu and Balaídos and giving up two draws in Pucela and Cádiz (0-0), the latter on the last day. Thus, the Verdiblanco team has only managed to win in one of their last four clashes in LaLiga Santander.
The defeat and the two distribution of points in recent dates have made him fall from the ‘Champions’ positions, to which he could return if he is capable of overcoming Simeone’s in a match in which he will not be able to count on midfielder Sergio Canales, controversially expelled by Mateu Lahoz in the duel at the Nuevo Mirandilla.
Without the Spaniard, the ‘Engineer’ will have to look for a replacement in the midfielder, where the recovered Nabil Fekir could return. Above, without the injured Juanmi Jiménez, Galician striker Borja Iglesias will return to the front line after starting from the bench against Cádiz.
REAL BETIS: Rui Silva; Sabaly, Luiz Felipe, Victor Ruiz, Alex Moreno; Carvalho, Saved, Rodri; Ruibal, Luiz Henrique and Borja Iglesias.
MADRID ATHLETIC: Oblak; Molina, Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo; De Paul, Witsel, Kondogbia, Saul; Morata and Griezmann.
–REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C.Extremeño).
–STADIUM: Benito Villamarin.
–TIME: 4.15pm/Movistar LaLiga.
