Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol
It’s a battle between top and bottom as Atletico Madrid lock horns with Espanyol in the 13th matchday of the La Liga.
The game is to be hosted at the 68,000-seater Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, where Atletico Madrid has built a fortress as they are yet to be defeated there.
While Barcelona currently is on top of the table, they are have drawn level with Real Madrid and Real Sociedad with 22 points. Trailing them by a point are Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, while Granada are clinging on to the sixth spot with 20 points.
Espanyol, meanwhile, have sunk to the bottom of the table with only eight points and they are in danger to be relegated at season’s end if they won’t string together some wins in the next few matchdays.
Battles between these two teams have normally been lopsided ones. However, their head-to-head record against each other is closer than most would think, making this a fascinating match to watch on Sunday evening.
As always, SBOBET is here to talk about some important tidbits ahead of this fixture.
Talking Points
Atletico Madrid still looking for their form
Atletico Madrid currently have 21 points in the La Liga, but it feels like they should have a few more. They weren’t able to gather some more points when they were unable to close out in their drawn matches against the likes of Celta Vigo, Valladolid, Valencia, and Alaves.
Diego Simeone’s side has struggled to produce goals on that span, as the last time that they netted at least three goals was back in September when they defeated Eibar.
Much of their scoring woes can be attributed to the injury of Joao Felix last month. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder rolled his ankle in their home draw against Valencia and he just came back in their match against Lokomotiv Moscow after being sidelined for three weeks.
His presence was felt right away when he scored off a lovely finish at the 48th minute, which should serve as a stern warning for their counterparts in the La Liga.
During his absence, several players were forced to step up which should be treated as a blessing in disguise if you’re an Atleti fan. Angel Correa and Alvaro Morata have stepped up for their young star’s absence, as they’ve provided many goals and assists plus some La Liga 2019 highlights.
Diego Costa, on the other hand, continues to struggle as he only has two goals for this season. With Felix now back in the fold, for sure he’ll have better chances in the next few games.
With everyone back fully healthy, expect Los Colchoneros to hit their stride as they vie for the top spot at the table. Mix their attack to their fortress of a defence that only conceded seven goals so far, they should pose a serious threat to Barcelona’s three-peat bid.
Espanyol turn their focus to the Europa League
By the looks of it, Espanyol will be one of the three top teams that will be relegated at the end of this season given everything that they’ve been through for the past few weeks.
After a miserable time on the sidelines, David Gallego was replaced by Pablo Machin at the start of October to try and steer the club to a better direction.
Machin has helped Los Periquitos perform well in the ongoing Europa League. They are currently on top of Group H with 10 points and they haven’t lost a single game there.
Their most impressive victory recently was their 6-0 victory against Ludogorets. Espanyol opened the floodgates when two of their opponents were given red cards, giving them some confidence heading into this upcoming fixture.
“It helps your morale to see you can win games and it would give us a boost before we face Atletico Madrid,” said Machin.
For the rest of this term, survival in the La Liga should be Espanyol’s main objective. And with the way that they’re playing as of late, it looks like there will be brighter days ahead for this club and for their fans.
History
These two sides have met each other 39 times with the home team having won 16, while Espanyol won 14 along with nine draws.
Espanyol managed to win over Atleti back in April where Borja Iglesias scored a brace and Diego Godin had an own goal for a 3-0 tally.
Betting Tip
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Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol | Atletico Madrid Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.87 |
| November 10, 23:00 (GMT+8) |
The La Liga 2019 odds have placed Atletico Madrid at 1.48, Espanyol at 6.80, and a draw 4.00 in the 1×2 market. However, anything is possible in the game of football.
I can’t help but look back on their previous match last season, but it seems like Diego Simeone’s side had already learned its lesson to avoid such collapse this time around.
Espanyol will have to play like they’ve got nothing to lose in order to give themselves a fighting chance in this match.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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