Atlético de Madrid will be hoping to keep pace with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid by picking up three points in Valladolid on Saturday evening.

Atlético Madrid (8-5-1, 29 points) has won six straight games in all competitions, and Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Sparta Prague was their most successful performance of the season so far. Atlético controlled the game from start to finish and similar magnificence on Saturday could help them snap their first seven-game winning streak in all competitions since spring 2018.

As an incentive, Atlético know as kick-off begins at José Zorrilla that a win will take Diego Simeone’s side to within two points of leaders Barcelona, ​​who lost at home to Las Palmas early in the game on Saturday.

“I don’t compare myself or my team to anyone,” Simeone told reporters on Friday when asked about the LaLiga title race. “We look at ourselves, we try to improve and grow as a team day by day, regardless of what happens to others.”

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Valladolid (2-3-9, 9 points) are at the bottom of LaLiga, which has put coach Paulo Pezzolano – the man who brought them back from Segunda six months ago – under significant pressure as the Pucelas look to avoid a second relegation to avoid the top flight in three seasons. Former Barça youth player Raúl Moro is responsible for 30 percent of Valladolid’s 10 goals, the lowest total in the league across 14 rounds, and no team has scored more goals than Pezzolano’s group, with 27.

In contrast, Atlético has the best defense in LaLiga with eight goals conceded, and Los Colchoneros have won each of their last five meetings with Pucela – including the decisive 2-1 win on May 22, 2021.

“Valladolid are an extremely competitive team, they play as a team and with great commitment,” said Simeone. “They play with high intensity, higher than in the last games we played. Hopefully we can match the intensity they will show.”

El Cholo plans to use Antoine Griezmann in place of Alexander Sørloth alongside Julián Alvarez in attack on Saturday evening; This may be the only change from the team that defeated Sparta Prague. That means the in-form Giuliano Simeone will keep his place on the right wing, while Clément Lenglet and a consistently healthy Josema Giménez will keep him in defense. Robin Le Normand is nearing recovery from his brain injury but is unlikely to feature in Valladolid as his absence exceeds the two-month mark; The Spanish centre-back could return to Cáceres when Atlético travel there to face fourth division side Cacereño in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

“The team is improving, it has been growing for a few weeks with a much stronger block, we have improved defensively and we are growing offensively,” Simeone said. “The substitutes do their job very well, and that is the strength of the team: not just the regular players, but also those who come in later and make their contribution.”

Date November 30, 2024

Location Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Castile and León

Kick-off time 9:00 p.m. CEST, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT

Available TV/Streaming ESPN+ (USA), DAZN (Spain)