La Liga: Atletico Madrid Fighting to Keep Their Top Four Hopes Alive

Atletico Madrid vs Getafe

After winning La Liga last year, Atletico Madrid now find themselves in uncharted territory.

They’re currently fifth in the Spanish top-flight standings with 36 points. And following their heavy defeat in the last time out, Diego Simeone’s men have to pick themselves up when they’ll host Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Los Rojiblancos are virtually out in the running for this year’s La Liga championship and the only way they can make the best out of this season is a return to the Champions League.

But as of the moment, Getafe are standing in their way and they’ve been much better compared to the start of this season. By going undefeated in four of their last five, Los Azulones are now at 15^th with 25 points.

With another competitive La Liga game on the horizon, allow SBOTOP to analyse these two sides in today’s preview.

Talking Points

Health is wealth for Atletico Madrid

Diego Simeone is hopeful to have a healthier squad to choose from this weekend after they were outplayed by Barcelona last Sunday.

Atletico Madrid were missing the likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Marcos Llorente, and Antoine Griezmann, while veteran centre-back Stefan Savic looked rusty after a lengthy spell in the sidelines.

Joao Felix, on the other hand, hasn’t looked right on the pitch and he’s yet to reach his peak form. Apparently, he’s been playing with a broken bone in his foot for six months.

So basically it all boils down to staying healthy for this squad since they have enough depth to win games, and there’s some good news.

Antoine Griezmann missed La Liga games due to hamstring injury — Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann celebrate after scoring against Cadiz

According to Diario AS, Antoine Griezmann has returned to training after missing their last five matches and he’s aiming for a spot in the starting lineup this Saturday.

A healthy Griezmann would certainly boost Atleti’s attack since he’ll rejoin his strike partners in Luis Suarez and Angel Correa, who have scored nine goals apiece so far this season.

Getafe suddenly on a roll

Getafe have been punching above their weight at this juncture of the 2021/22 season. After a subpar start to their campaign with just three points in the first 11 games, Los Azulones have bagged 22 points in the next 12 to move away from the relegation zone.

The man behind this drastic turnaround is Quique Sanchez Flores, who rejoined the team last October. The 56-year-old coach offers a ton of coaching experience and he has instilled a winning mentality at the club.

They’re playing without fear and that has helped them gain positive La Liga 2022 results. Their biggest win up to date was when they defeated title favourites Real Madrid with a score of 1-0.

Los Azulones aren’t known as a prolific scoring side but they have enough weapons that can give their opponents problems. Enes Unal and Sandro Ramirez are their best scorers as they’ve accounted for 12 goals so far this term.

During the transfer window, they’ve improved their attacking depth with the addition of Borja Mayoral via loan. The 24-year-old hasn’t played much under Jose Mourinho and he’s looking to prove himself once more in La Liga.

History

While there’s a reason to be optimistic if you’re a Getafe supporter given their strong recent form, their losing record against Atletico Madrid is something to consider.

Atletico Madrid have won their last 10 La Liga home games against Getafe. And overall, they’re unbeaten in the last 18 meetings (W16, D2).

What’s more, Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in those 10 La Liga home wins, which is the joint-longest run any team has had without conceding at home against any opponent in the league ever.

Getafe’s last road victory against Atletico Madrid dates back to May 2010 (3-0), when they were still coached under Michel Gonzalez.

Should Getafe win this weekend, it would mark the first time ever that they’ve won two straight league games against Madrid-based sides.

Betting Tip

	Atletico Madrid vs Getafe	Atletico Madrid Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.78
	February 13, 04:00 (GMT+8)

Atletico Madrid are favoured to get the league double over their visitors this weekend, according to the La Liga 2022 odds. They’re priced at 1.43 to win, while Getafe are the underdogs at 7.60 and chances for a draw are at 4.20 in the 1X2 market.

Getafe’s odds should’ve been higher since they’re not the same as before, but they should use it as motivation to try and upset their hosts this weekend. But while Los Azulones can give Los Rojiblancos problems on the pitch, the latter’s unbeaten record over the former speaks volumes and they should have enough to put them in their place.