Diego Simeone’s men will restart their La Liga journey as Atletico Madrid play their first match after the international break on Saturday against Deportivo Alaves at the Estadio de Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Deportivo Alavés vs Atletico Madrid – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 10th October.
- Kick-off: 3:15pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio de Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Deportivo Alavés team news
Deportivo Alavés enters the weekend facing a severe defensive crisis, putting immense pressure on manager Quique Sánchez Flores.
The hosts are depleted at the back, missing three key players. Mikel Rodríguez and Facundo Garcés remain long-term absentees as both continue their lengthy recoveries from serious cruciate ligament injuries.
Compounding these problems, Finnish defender Ville Koski became the latest casualty after sustaining a quadriceps injury during the recent international break.
Because of these critical absences, Alavés is expected to field a makeshift five-man defensive unit to absorb pressure. Antonio Sivera will start in goal, protected by a backline likely featuring Pérez, Tenaglia, Valentini, Otto, and Rebbach.
Antonio Blanco, Pablo Ibáñez, and Tomás Suárez look set to anchor the midfield, while the attacking duo of Toni Martínez and Lucas Boyé will be tasked with leading the line and exploiting counter-attacking opportunities.
Atletico Madrid team news
Atlético Madrid approaches the fixture in excellent shape, boasting a virtually fully fit squad for Diego Simeone following the international break.
Spanish fullback Alejandro Grimaldo has completely recovered from a minor quadriceps issue that saw him leave the national team camp early, and he is fully available.
Midfielder Pablo Barrios and forward Alexander Sørloth have also overcome their respective fitness concerns to bolster the travelling squad.
However, with a massive Champions League clash against Manchester United looming next Wednesday, Simeone is highly likely to rotate his starting eleven.
Jan Oblak will start between the posts, shielded by Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Robin Le Normand, and Dávid Hancko. In midfield, Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Johnny Cardoso, and Álex Baena are expected to start, while the dynamic duo of Lee Kang-in and Ademola Lookman could lead the attack, leaving stars like Julián Álvarez rested on the bench.
Form
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés enters this fixture sitting sixth in La Liga with 11 points. After a blistering start that yielded 10 points from their opening four matches, Quique Sánchez Flores’s side has hit a rough patch. They are winless in their last three league games, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Racing Santander and a 1-0 loss to Valencia, before grinding out a defensive 0-0 draw away at Athletic Club.
Atletico Madrid
Atlético Madrid is in exceptional league form, currently second in the table with 16 points, trailing leaders Barcelona by five. Diego Simeone’s squad heads to Mendizorroza riding a wave of confidence after securing three consecutive La Liga victories. Their strong domestic run includes a dominant 3-0 win over Real Sociedad, a 4-0 thrashing of Osasuna, and a massive 2-1 victory against fierce rivals Real Madrid.
Predicted lineups
Deportivo Alaves: Sivera; Tenaglia, Valentini, Otto; Perez, Ibanez, Suarez, Blanco, Rebbach; Martinez, Boye
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Koke, Cardoso; Simeone, Kang-in, Baena; Alvarez
How to watch Deportivo Alavés vs Atletico Madrid?
In the UK, you can watch the Deportivo Alavés vs. Atlético Madrid match live on LALIGATV.
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