Overview
Atletico Madrid are showing signs of losing steam in the La Liga championship race this season. The shocking loss at Las Palmas last weekend left coach Diego Simeone's team 13 points behind Barcelona. With only 6 more matches left and the stability of the opponents above, Atletico's chance is almost gone.
In contrast to Atletico, Vallecano are competing for a ticket to the European Cup next season. They are currently 3 points behind in the Europa Conference League and still have a chance to rise.
However, Vallecano's form has been quite bad recently. They have won only 1/9 of their most recent matches. Their away form is also extremely alarming, having only won 3 points after the last 4 matches.
Atletico Madrid, despite having lost their motivation, are still one of the formidable teams at home. They have won 11, drawn four and lost just one at the Metropolitano in La Liga this season. Both Atletico's attack and defense are in the top 4 of the tournament.
The surprise defeat at Las Palmas has made the capital Madrid team try harder in the upcoming match. Because even though the goal has been completed, this is still the only arena where Atletico are still competing.
In general, the upcoming match is an opportunity for Atletico to express their anger and regain the trust of fans. Against a Vallecano team in unstable form, winning is a must for Atletico.
In terms of head-to-head record, Atletico have been unbeaten in all 17 recent confrontations with Vallecano in all competitions (won 13, drew 4).
Personnel situation
The home team Atletico Madrid has all the strongest cards after the return of Rodrigo De Paul.
On the other side of the front line, the away team will not have the participation of Abdul Mumin and Jonathan Montiel due to injury. Sergio Camello has recovered but is uncertain to play.
Expected lineup:
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan, Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher, Alvarez, Griezmann.
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Chavarria, Valentin, Lopez, De Frutos, Diaz, Garcia, Nteka.
The match between Atletico Madrid and Vallecano takes place at 2:30 am on April 25 (Vietnam time).
