24 September 2021, 14:20 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The Spanish LaLiga Santander fixture, Deportivo Alaves vs. Atletico Madrid, kicks off at 13:00 (GMT+1) on Saturday, September 25, at the 19,840-capacity stadium, Mendizorrotza.
Preview Deportivo Alavés La Liga, Sep 25, 2021
Preview Deportivo Alaves failed to pick up a point on the road last weekend when they visited the Cornellà-El Prat and were defeated by Espanyol, 1-0. Raul de Tomas (54' P.) separated both sides from the penalty spot after sending the goalkeeper diving the wrong way following a handball by Rubén Duarte. Alaves had a few chances to level the scoreline but failed to convert any of the opportunities that came by shortly after Espanyol wasted a chance to double the lead. It was the fifth consecutive defeat for the club in as many games: LLLLL, which leaves Alaves in 20th place, having no points after 0W, 0D, & 5L. On the numbers, Alaves have an average of 0.2 goals per game, having scored only once in five La Liga games. After conceding 11 times (2.2 g.c.p.g), the club has a G.D. of -10. Javier Calleja went along with the 4—2—3—1 formation in his last game against Espanyol, but a defensive 5—4—1 or a conventional 4—4—2 is expected on Saturday as he aims to keep Atletico Madrid at bay.
Preview Atlético Madrid La Liga, Sep 25, 2021
Preview The Spanish champions, Atletico Madrid, occupy 2nd place on the La Liga table, having picked up 14 points from 4W, 2D, & 0L. On Tuesday, ATM picked up a 2-1 win over Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. Jan Oblak (45' O.G.) stuck out a hand to a rebound which had struck the frame of goal to gift Getafe the lead. However, Luis Suarez (78') restored parity, shortly after Getafe's Carles Alena (R. 74') was shown the red. With seconds left on the clock, Saurez (90'+1) bagged the brace with a remarkable header to seal all three points for Atletico Madrid. The victory leaves the club unbeaten in five games, WDWDW, ahead of this fixture against Alaves. ATM has scored 9 goals after six La Liga appearances. Having an average of 1.5 goals scored per game, Los Indios have conceded five times (an average of 0.83 goals-per-match) and have a G.D. of +4. Diego Simeone will be in the hunt for a victory to keep the unbeaten run intact when his side visits the Mendizorrotza. In the game against Getafe, he adopted the 4—2—3—1 formation in a bid to accommodate the likes of Griezmann, Correa, Carrasco, and Suarez, leaving behind the 3—5—2 which excluded a few attacking options in the last few games. On availability, Koke is sidelined with a muscle injury alongside Thomas Lemar.