Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Prediction: La Liga Match on 18.03.2023

Atletico Madrid’s ambitions to finish inside the top four this season will clash against Valencia’s hopes for survival in La Liga when the two sides go one-on-one at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Saturday at 20:00 GMT.

    

Atletico will look to make it three wins on the bounce and extend their unbeaten run in the league when they host Valencia. A win will further cement their top-four position (in third) and keep the chasing pack at bay.

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Valencia, who are level on 26 points with 18th-place Getafe, cannot afford a loss at this point. A win will help them climb the table further away from the drop zone; a loss will see them drop into the relegation zone.

Key Highlights

Atletico’s Upturn in Form

Diego Simeone’s men have turned on the style in the post-World Cup period to bolster their top-four prospects. They are now 3rd on the La Liga table, are unbeaten in the last five matches, and have opened up a 3-point gap to 4th-placed Real Sociedad.

This upturn in form has been highlighted by consistent performances for Atletico, and the only dropped points in their last five outings came in the 1-1 draw away to their city rivals Real Madrid.

Diego Simeone will be looking to maintain his side’s consistency and ruthlessness in the run-in as they look to wrap up their top-four berth and Champions League participation for next season.

Valencia’s Inconsistency

Ruben Baraja and his men have seen a slight upturn in form in recent matches, which has given the Mestalla side a glimmer of hope in their bid to retain their La Liga status.

Valencia have won twice in their last five matches while losing three times in this run. The two wins (six points) have seen them move out of the relegation zone and into 17th on the table, level on points with 18th-placed Getafe and a point ahead of 19th-placed Almeria.

While they are not out of the woods yet, Baraja and his charges will take considerable encouragement from their recent form and performances.

They will be looking to retain this spirit and outlook when they visit Atletico Madrid on Saturday. 

Injury Report

Atletico Madrid

Diego Simeone will be without left-back Reinildo Mandava for the visit of Valencia. The 29-year-old full-back has been nursing a cruciate ligament rupture since February 25, 2023. 

    

The defender will be a big miss for Atletico and has missed 16 matches for Simeone’s side this season. Mandava is expected to be back by September 15, 2023.

Valencia

Ruben Baraja will be without center-forward Edinson Cavani for the trip to Atletico on Saturday. The 36-year-old Uruguayan has been missing with a muscle injury since February 12, 2023. 

Having missed 4 matches and with no return date set, the striker is set to miss the trip to the capital to face 3rd-placed Atletico.

Valencia will also be without Jaume Domenech, with the 32-year-old goalkeeper suspended for the match.

Possible Lineups

Atletico Madrid

J. Oblak; Y. Ferreira Carrasco, M. Hermoso, J. Gimenez, S. Savic, N. Molina; T. Lemar, Koke, M. Llorente; M. Depay, A. Griezmann

Valencia

G. Mamardashvili; D. Foulquier, M. Diakhaby, C. Ozkacar, J. Gaya; Y. Musah, H. Guillmon, A. Almeida; Samu Castillejo, H. Duro, J. Kluivert

Prediction

Atletico will be their usual compact and solid in their performance. They will dictate the tempo of the match and will attack using transitions.

Valencia will be pragmatic in their approach. They will defend deep with numbers and attack on the counter.

Atletico will win this match and solidify their top-four status. 

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