The whole complexity of La Liga changed over the past weekend, and now the initiative in the title race is firmly with Zinedine Zidane and his Real Madrid side. They can extend their lead at the summit of La Liga with another win this coming weekend as they host Atletico Madrid.
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Real Madrid would have been aware of their chance before kicking off against Valladolid on Sunday evening. They knew a win would see them leapfrog Barcelona at the top of the table after the Catalonian side, and current La Liga champions were humbled at Valencia. Real Madrid were far from their best on Sunday evening, but they got the result that they needed to get to the top of the league.
Zidane’s side dominated throughout and allowed Valladolid to have just 37% of the possession. They didn’t allow the hosts to have a single shot on target, but they had to be patient for their chances. Real only had three shots on target in the game, but eventually broke the deadlock with 12 minutes remaining through Nacho. The win means they have now won their last three in the league. Zidane’s side have been difficult to beat this season, as they have only lost on one occasion.
Meanwhile, Atletico have struggled for any kind of consistency this season, and they dropped out of the Champions League places over the weekend. Their draw allowed Getafe and Sevilla to both leapfrog them. It also means that they haven’t won in two games in La Liga now, but there is no doubt that Simeone will have his team ready for this clash.
It was a disappointing 0-0 draw against Leganes on the weekend for Atletico, as they once again struggled in the attacking third. Joao Felix has struggled to find consistency in the league this season after his big-money move from Benfica. He has scored just twice in 17 league games. Meanwhile, Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata have only scored nine goals combined this season. They need to find their attacking threat again. Otherwise, they are more likely end the season with more 0-0 draws.
The two sides have met on 55 previous occasions. Real hold the advantage of having won on 26 occasions, while Atletico have won on 11 occasions. There have been 18 draws between the two sides. There is an average of 2.73 goals per fixture. The last meeting between the two sides was only a few weeks ago in the Copa Espana. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but Real won the penalty shootout.
The hosts will be without Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard who are missing with ankle injuries.
Thomas Lemar, Jose Gimenez and Diego Costa will be missing for the visitors. Santiago Arias could be fit enough for a place on the bench.
Neither side really got into their desired attacking pattern last time out, but Real certainly have showcased their quality in the final third more so than Atletico this season. A win for Zidane’s side over the weekend will put down a marker for the remainder of the season, and they will overcome their city rivals by a narrow margin.
Prediction: Real Madrid 1-0 Atletico Madrid.
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