La Liga: Can Atletico Madrid Catch a Break Against Villarreal?

Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid

La Liga table leaders Atletico Madrid will travel to Estadio de la Ceramica hungry to get their 18th victory of the 2020/21 season against Villarreal.

There is a lot on the line given the set of fixtures we have this weekend, as it can help shape up the ever-tightening race for this year’s Spanish top-flight championship.

After holding a big advantage over the rest of the playing field, Atletico Madrid are now wobbling because of their recent La Liga 2021 results while their rivals have caught fire.

Perennial contenders Real Madrid and Barcelona have drawn closer since they’ve won at least three straight fixtures, while Sevilla and Real Sociedad are on the outside looking in as well.

Atletico Madrid have 55 points as of this writing, which is only three points adrift to defending champions Real Madrid.

Villarreal, on the other hand, remain steady at the sixth spot with 37 points. However, they are in danger of falling further down the standings since they have been lacklustre in form.

Unai Emery’s men would prefer to be in contention for an European qualification, and there’s no more time to waste in trying to grab more points. 

Here at SBOTOP, we examine on how these teams will fare on Sunday night. 
 

 

Talking points

Villarreal are coming in undermanned

Villarreal’s recent dip in form can be mainly attributed to the injuries that they’ve been dealing with.

Francis Coquelin is still bothered by a hamstring issue that he suffered last year, and his absence in the midfield has hurt the Yellow Submarine to a degree.

The French international has been a solid defencive presence given his physical gifts and IQ. And by the looks of his current condition, perhaps he might miss another two to three games.

Fellow defenders Vicente Iborra, Alberto Moreno, and Mario Gaspar are all unlikely to feature in this game, leaving the Unai Emery-mentored squad vulnerable at the back.

While attacking hasn’t been exactly Villarreal’s strongest suit, they have no choice to but to rely on it, which is why it’s a good thing that they have capable players who can contribute on that end.

Gerard Moreno, who leads the team with 14 goals, will be accompanied by Paco Alcacer out front, while supporting them in the midfield will be Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue. 

Since arriving from Watford last January, Etienne Capoue has impressed in Villarreal and I think that he will be the x-factor for the Yellow Submarine. 

Atletico Madrid are almost back at full strength

The good news for Atleti is that there will be more players available for this upcoming matchup.

Joao Felix, Moussa Dembele, and Thomas Lemar were all able to play during their previous league fixture against Levante, which is a welcome sight for Diego Simeone since they’ve all missed time due to COVID-19.

Their inclusion in the rotation should help take away some pressure off of Luis Suarez’s shoulders as he has been carrying the scoring load for Los Rojiblancos.

For this contest, only Yannick Carrasco and Jose Gimenez will be rested, while Kieran Trippier continues to serve his suspension.

Now with a healthier roster, there are no more excuses for Atletico Madrid. With their rivals creeping up, gathering points and wins is of utmost importance.
 

History

Villarreal and Atletico Madrid have faced off in 37 games prior to this Sunday evening.

The Yellow Submarine would like to even the scales as Atletico Madrid hold the slight advantage in the overall head-to-heads with 14 wins, which is only one more for Villarreal along with 10 draws. 

In their first meeting last October, the game ended with a 0-0 stalemate as both teams failed to capitalise on their attacking opportunities.

Sunday might turn out to be another defencive slugfest. However, both teams need to be more clinical in order for a better chance to take home the much-needed three points.
 

Betting Tip

	Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid	February 28, 8:00(GMT+8)
	Atletico Madrid Asian Handicap -0.00 @ 1.73

The latest La Liga 2021 odds see this as a fun and tight affair, which might be determined by a late goal.

Atletico Madrid have the slight edge as they are priced at 2.49 to win, while Villarreal are pegged at 2.94 and chances for a draw are at 3.05 in the 1×2 market.

After a poor run of results in the last few weeks, Diego Simeone’s boys know that they cannot afford to drop more points, so they should bring their A-game here.

Villarreal have been a formidable unit under Unai Emery and they can cause problems for Atletico Madrid. However, since they are lacking in personnel, I may have to give the advantage to the current La Liga leaders.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

 

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