By DEPORTIVO VS ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico Madrid suffered a really frustrating result in the Champions League mid-week, proving that they are not in the best of forms lately.
They will now look to wash off that bad draw when they will be hosted by Deportivo la Coruna on Saturday, November 4th.
Deportivo la Coruna recorded a really strong win against Las Palmas in the La Liga last week, but they are not in good form either lately.
Deportivo la Coruna (3-2-5) were unlucky enough to concede at just the 7th minute of their match against Las Palmas last week, but they managed to overturn the result in their favor and eventually won by 1-3.
They have not been in very good form lately, as that was just their 2nd win in their last 6 matches in all competitions, and their 3rd in the La Liga this season.
Deportivo la Coruna are now sitting at the 16th spot of the La Liga with 11 points, having scored 13 goals against 19 conceded.
They have been mediocre at home so far in the season (2-0-3), where they have only defeated Getafe and Alaves.
Atletico Madrid (5-5-0) should be feeling rather upset about the outcome of their Champions League match against Qarabag at home on Tuesday, where they were stuck at a 1-1 draw, despite their dominance.
That was their 3rd consecutive 1-1 draw in all competitions, and the 6th time in their last 7 matches that they split the points.
Atletico Madrid are still undefeated in the La Liga though, where they are sitting at the 4th spot with 20 points, 8 points behind league leaders Barcelona.
They have been really competitive on the road so far (3-3-0), where they have defeated Athletic Bilbao, Las Palmas and Celta.
The two teams settled for a 1-1 draw in this venue last season, while Atletico Madrid had won at home by a slim 1-0 in the first round.
Atletico Madrid have had the upper hand in this match-up, especially in recent years (13-3-1 in the last 10 years).
Deportivo la Coruna have been better as hosts against Atletico Madrid in the last 20 years (7-5-5), but they haven’t won here since 2009 (0-3-2).
BARCELONA VS SEVILLA
Barcelona play host to Sevilla at Camp Nou on Saturday evening looking to extend their unbeaten record in La Liga to 11 matches.
Sevilla make the trip to the Catalan giants sitting in fifth place in the standings, but Eduardo Berizzo’s side appear to have turned a corner after registering three wins in a row in all competitions.
Despite sitting at the top of the table, Barcelona are still searching for their best form under Ernesto Valverde but there may come a point when the 53-year-old’s style of football features lower down on the club’s list of priorities.
Goals are not being scored at the same frequency as under Luis Enrique, but Barca are slowly turning in a juggernaut capable of churning out results with the club having avoided defeat in their last 15 games in all competitions.
The goalless draw at Olympiacos in the Champions League will be considered a blip, but it extended a period where Barca have conceded just four goals since August 20 and as it stands, Valverde’s side are seen as top dogs in Spain.
Either side of the international break, Sevilla suffered four defeats in six matches in all competitions and there was every suggestion that Berizzo’s men may struggle to keep pace in their bid for a top-four place.
However, three wins in a row – albeit just one in La Liga – has lifted the mood at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and there is at least some belief within the club’s ranks ahead of one of football’s biggest tests.
Scorelines of 2-1 against Leganes and Spartak Moscow are far from convincing, but Berizzo will take the positives from being able to close out two tight matches on the spin at a time when nine goals had previously been shipped on trips to Russia and Valencia.
Finding a regular goalscorer remains a problem, with no player scoring more than two goals in La Liga this season, but Berizzo will hope that Wissam Ben Yedder’s effort against Leganes last weekend will be the start of a run for the Frenchman.
REAL MADRID VS LAS PALMAS
Defeats in successive matches against Girona and Tottenham have made victory essential against one of La Liga’s strugglers this Sunday
Real Madrid are in the middle of their worst run of results under Zinedine Zidane but have an ideal opportunity to rise from their slump when they host relegation-fighting Las Palmas.
Palmasa had Madrid on the ropes in their last visit to the Bernabeu, a thrilling 3-3 draw, but have endured eight defeats from their 10 games.
The Merengue have suffered back-to-back defeats in the past week, losing to Girona and Tottenham.
As a result the storm clouds have gathered over the Santiago Bernabeu, putting an end to Zinedine Zidane’s honeymoon on the Madrid bench.
Madrid received a welcome piece of news on Friday when Gareth Bale took to the training pitch, and the Welshman should be available for selection at the weekend after suffering a hip injury.
Dani Carvajal, Mateo Kovacic and Raphael Varane remain on the casualties list for Zidane, leaving the coach with little opportunity to rotate following Wednesday’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of Tottenham.
Jonathan Viera has played all 10 of Las Palmas’ La Liga games this season, but will be an absentee for the next month due to an arm injury. He joins Alen Halilovic and Oussama Tannane on the sidelines.
Pako Ayestaran was forced to replace Viera with Tana just 14 minutes into the 3-1 home defeat to Deportivo La Coruna, and could start the 27-year-old or even ex-Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani in his place.
A win over the Canary Islanders is absolutely vital to steady the ship and, more importantly, keep touch with runaway leaders Barcelona at the Liga summit.
And under-pressure Zidane will fancy his chances.
OTHER SPANISH LA LIGA FIXTURES
Valencia VS Leganes
Deportivo La Coruna VS Atletico Madrid
Alaves VS Espanyol
Levante VS Girona
Celta Vigo VS Athletic Bilbao
Real Sociedad VS Eibar
Villarreal VS Malaga
