Getafe vs Atlético Madrid - A Madrid Derby To Test The League Leaders

Next Sunday, Atlético will make a short trip to the outskirts of Madrid to play against Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez for round 33 of Liga BBVA on a match of major importance for both sides’ clashing aspirations.

Getafe suffered a massive blow to their struggle against the ghost of relegation last Sunday after being defeated at the Martínez Valero by a late goal from Boakye, which offered Elche the three points. Cosmin Contra’s side wasn’t able to replicate their outstanding win and performance from two weeks ago against Valencia and they sucumbed in the dying moments of the match against a close contender on the battle against relegation.

At the end of the match, the Romanian head coach, stated that his side deserved at least a draw and that it is very painful for his side to be defeated like that. Getafe are currently below the relegation line and they cannot afford any more slipups if they don’t want to risk losing the train away from the “condemnation area”.

For next Sunday’s clash, Contra will not able to count on the team’s usual goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya, who will miss the rest of the season due to a serious injury, and he is not yet certain about the physical condition of the midfielders Pedro Mosquera and Jaime Gavilan.

On the other hand, Atlético Madrid are enjoying a fantastic moments both at Liga BBVA and at the UEFA Champions League. Diego Simeone’s side grabbed a narrow but important home win against Villarreal and cemented their leading position at the top of the table, keeping Barcelona and Real Madrid at bay. Due to the large quantity of matches during such a sort period of time, it is likely that the Argentinean head coach will continue with his squad rotation plan without compromising the team’s consistency and without altering his usual tactical approach.

Diego Simeone is not yet certain if he will be able to count on the team’s top scorer Diego Costa and on the flamboyant Turkish midfielder Arda Turan, since both of them are still slowly recovering from their recent injuries.

Back in November, Getafe was severely punished during their visit to Vicente Calderón. Atlético Madrid won the match 7-0 and imposed the heaviest defeat of the season to the Azulones. Next Sunday, however, the Madrid derby will certainly be a more close match since both teams need to grab the three points.

Getafe

Stats: W-8 L-17 D-7

Recent Form: LDLLW

Atlético Madrid

Stats: W-25 L-3 D-4

Recent Form: WWWWW

Possible Line-ups

Getafe (4-2-3-1) - Codina - Arroyo - L. López - Rafa - Escudero - Lace - Borja - P. León - J. Rodríguez - Lafita - C. Marica

Atlético Madrid (4-4-2) – Courtois - Juanfran - Aldeiweireld - Godin - Insua - M.Suárez - Gabi - Koke - Sosa -  Diego - David Villa

Prediction: Getafe 1 Atlético Madrid 2