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Kick off: 28 November 2015 @17:15
Venue: Vicente Calderon (Madrid)
Head to head record
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid 0-0 (2014/15 La Liga)
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol 2-0 (2014/15 La Liga)
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol 1-0 (2013/14 La Liga)
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid 1-0 (2013/14 La Liga)
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol prediction
Los Rojiblancos are enjoying a fantastic run of results and will be highly optimistic about their chances on Saturday with Espanyol coming to town for their La Liga round 13 encounter at Vicente Calderon.
Can Atletico go all the way?
Four points behind the league leaders Barcelona, Atletico Madrid have announced themselves as proper title contenders this term. Since their UEFA Champions League against Benfica at the end of September, Diego Simoene’s charges have been going from strength to strength winning six and drawing three of their last nine matches across competitions. Real Madrid’s El Clasico defeat has seen the Rojiblancos climb to the second in the La Liga table and Diego Simeone has already stated hi desire to lead his team one step further than it was the case next season. Atletico Madrid are coming off from their UEFA Champions League 2-0 triumph over Galatasaray during the week, which saw the Madrid-based club progress to the knock-out stage of Europe’s top elite club competition. Antoine Griezmann played another fantastic match scoring a brace against the Turkish opposition. French forward has been the club’s top scorer this season, having already netted five times in domestic competition, adding four goals in five European games.
Jackson Martinez is likely to sit out through yet another game due to the ankle injury he picked up while on the international duty with Colombia. The hosts will also have to do without Gabi, who has received his fifth booking and will be suspended for the affair.
Inconsistency the problem for Espanyol
Blanquiazules are travelling to Madrid on the back of their first win in the last four league games. Espanyol have recovered from the 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao with a 2-0 win over Malaga, which saw them grab the tenth position in the La Liga standings. Sergio Gonzalez’s side is sitting firmly in the middle of the table, but the manager will have little to be satisfied with as his team has been playing inconsistently throughout the campaign. With only one draw after 12 rounds, it has mostly been all wins and losses with Espanyol, who will need to get their feet firmly on the ground. The game against rampant Atletico Madrid might not be the best opportunity, having in mind that they failed to score in five of their last six meetings with their Saturday’s opponents. Espanyol have won only two of their on-road matches this season and there is little room for optimism ahead of their trip to Madrid. Hernan Perez has been in fine form of late, as his brace inside the opening 20 minutes saw Espanyol record their latest win against Malaga.
Sergio Gonzalez will be sweating over the fitness of Juan Fuentes who is having problems with his ankle. Victor Sanchez is suspended, while Salva Sevilla is the only confirmed injury for the game. Antonio Raullo and Hernan Perez have both picked up knocks last weekend and could see their time in the following fixture limited.
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol betting tip
Unbeaten in their last nine games, Atletico Madrid are clear-cut favourites to make it ten in a row without a loss. Espanyol have a poor record against Rojiblancos and will little to hope for against the in-form hosts.
Watch Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Live Stream
Tip: Atletico/Atletico
Odds: 1.88 (8/9) @888sport
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