Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | LaLiga

Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid Preview

Tournament: La Liga

Date: Saturday, March 29

Kick-off time: 15:15 GMT

Venue: RCDE Stadium

Espanyol are set to face Atletico Madrid at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday in round 29 of La Liga action aiming to return to winning ways.

Espanyol have endured a tough season thus far, sitting just one point above the relegation zone after match 28. They have accumulated 28 points in 27 matches this term, registering only seven wins, drawing seven, and losing the other 13 matches. Goalscoring has been a major problem for them after managing to score just 26 goals while conceding 39 goals in the process. Somehow, their last four matches have been good for them, having managed to secure two draws and a win against Alaves, where they also kept a clean sheet, their first in the last five matches. Javier Puado currently leads the goalscoring chart for them with 8 goals, and Alvaro Tejero provides the most assists with 4.

Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, have fumbled a little bit in the La Liga title race after losing back-to-back matches against Getafe and Barcelona. Particularly, their match against Barcelona was a crucial one to decrease the deficit at the top, and they started the match brilliantly, also taking a 2-0 lead within 20 minutes. But then the disaster happened they conceded four quick goals to lose the tie and trail by four points to them.

Diego Simeone's side are also out of the UEFA Champions League, having been eliminated by arch-rivals Real Madrid. For now, all they have is the league to focus on. Julian Alvarez will be key for the team as he leads the goalscoring chart with 11 goals, and Antoine Griezmann provides the most assists (5).

Espanyol Team News

Espanyol have two confirmed absentees for this match as Alvaro Tejero is suffering from a muscle injury, which will rule him out for some time, and is joined on the sidelines by Pablo Ramon, who is dealing with a cruciate ligament injury.

Also, there are two possible doubts for participation as Fernando Pacheco and Jose Gragera are back in training and will be assessed before the match.

Atletico Madrid Team News

Angel Correa will be suspended here for the visitors after receiving a red card against Getafe. Robin Le Normand is another player who is in doubt as he is feeling some physical discomfort at the moment, with Diego Simeone wary of any potential injury risk.

Also, Simeone has a huge decision to make whether to rest Julian Alvarez and Jose Gimenez as both players joined the camp late after representing their nation during the international break.

Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineups

Espanyol predicted lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Garcia

Defenders: El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero

Midfielders: Carreras, Exposito, Gonzalez, Puado

Attackers: Kral, Fernandez

Atletico Madrid predicted lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Oblak

Defenders: Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan

Midfielders: Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino

Attackers: Griezmann, Alvarez

Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid H2H Record

In the last five meetings between the two, Atletico Madrid have dominated, registering two wins and drawing thrice to remain unbeaten against them. Their most recent outing was a goalless draw between them.

Key players to watch in Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid

Joan Garcia (Espanyol)

Joan Garcia has been nothing short of sensational for Espanyol this season, saving them in games multiple times by making some extraordinary saves and also saving two of the penalties from the six he has faced this season. He has made 27 appearances for them this term, keeping four clean sheets in the process. He is already being courted by several top clubs who have been impressed by his excellent shot-stopping techniques, while also showing good distribution with the ball.

Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)

Julian Alvarez continues to mesmerize the fans with his goals having produced yet another eye-catching performance for Argentina during the international break. Having already scored 23 goals for Atletico Madrid this season in all competitions while also providing five assists, he is proving to be a bargain buy for them. Not only it is the goals he scores, but Alvarez also puts in a tremendous shift for the team, covering a lot of distance to help the team defensively. In his last five matches for them in the league, Alvarez has found the back of the net four times with an xG of 0.7 to continue his fine scoring form.

Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid Prediction

Both sides have not been in great form lately as they aim to return to winning ways here. Espanyol are likely to face a tough task here to contain Diego Simeone's boys, who have been in excellent form this season. Given their recent record and consistency through out the season, it is no surprise to see Atletico Madrid being the favorites for this match. We expect them to return to winning ways and secure a dominating result.

Predicted Score: Espanyol 0-2 Atletico Madrid

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