What: Spanish La Liga
Who: Atletico Madrid vs Valencia
When: Sunday 5th February, 2012, at 20:30 UK time
Where: Vicente Calderon, Madrid, Spain
“We Know Where We Are”
Sitting in seventh position, Atletico Madrid prepare to welcome third-placed Valencia for a clash at the Vicente Calderon. Nonetheless, the Mattress Makers will be full of confidence given the way things have been going lately for them, with the team having not lost a game since the start of 2012. Recently appointed coach Diego Simeone and his side will be hoping for more of the same.
Atletico’s run can be attributed to a number of factors. One of which is former FC Porto Europa League-winning striker Radamel Falcao. Not that Falcao is giving himself all the credit for an upturn in fortunes as the Colombian praised his side’s new attitude under Simeone, while admitting that their league standing is not what is needed.
“The work we have been doing, the sacrifice, it is all paying off”, said Falcao. "The team is convinced of what it wants. We have improved, which has allowed us to turn our situation around. We know where we are: out of the European places. If we get a good result against Valencia, things will improve. If we do things right, we will keep growing."
Minds Elsewhere
Valencia’s results and numbers appear to be more eye-catching than those of their opponents: Los Che are still the “best of the rest” in Spain, and are still in the Copa del Rey as one of the four semi-finalists next to Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and third-tier side Mirandes. That said, it will be interesting to see how the team react in this game given the fact that a meeting against Barcelona in the King’s Cup is just days away.
The refereeing was back under the spotlight in Spain in midweek, as Jose Luis Gonzalez came under fire from the Valencia crowd for not sending off goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto for what was a clear handball when Los Che met the Blaugrana. Speaking after the game, Roberto Soldado declared that Barcelona president Sandro Rosell’s referee declarations a few days earlier might have influenced proceedings.
“It would not surprise me if the words of Rosell influenced the referee’s decision not to whistle for the handball. It’s a very clear handball that could have affected the game. It was in front of the referee and he did not have the courage to whistle”, blasted the former Real Madrid player.
Recent form
Atletico Madrid:
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Villarreal (15/01; La Liga)
Real Sociedad 0-4 Atletico Madrid (21/01; La Liga)
Osasuna 0-1 Atletico Madrid (30/01; La Liga)
Valencia:
Levante 0-3 Valencia (26/01; Copa del Rey)
Racing Santander 2-2 Valencia (29/01; La Liga)
Valencia 1-1 Barcelona (01/02; Copa del Rey)
Key absences
Atletico Madrid: Antonio Lopez
Valencia: Pablo Hernandez; Cristiano; Sergio Canales; Hedwiges Maduro
Players to watch
Atletico Madrid – Radamel Falcao: Falcao is Atletico’s hottest commodity at the moment. He is the type of player that can provide that extra flair for his side; just exactly what his team need as they attempt to improve their position in the league.
Valencia – Ever Banega: After a season on loan with Atletico themselves, the Argentinean came back to the Mestalla and forged his presence as one of his side’s pillars. Holding a great competitive spirit, he will be asked to keep Atletico’s creative spark Diego on a short leash.
Match Prediction
Atletico Madrid’s good form and Valencia’s preoccupation with their clash against Barcelona seems to favour the hosts. However the 2004 league champions will want to go into the latter game on a strong note. Expect both sides to cancel each other out in 90 minutes with a 1-1 score.
Who comes out on top in Atletico Madrid v Valencia? Make sure you visit OLBG for tips and to compare the current odds and betting markets available at all the important bookmakers.
