Atletico Madrid vs Alaves Predictions, H2H and Match Preview

Atletico Madrid vs Alaves predictions, H2H and match preview for this Saturday’s early game in La Liga. Read on for analysis and predicted line-ups as two top four sides clash.

DATE/TIME –  Saturday 8th December 2018, 13:00 (Spanish Time)

STADIUM – Wanda Metropolitano

COMPETITION – La Liga

#AtletiAlaves

This is a fixture that rarely produces many goals but it’s a big one for Atletico Madrid after they dropped two points last weekend. Their main title rivals both won but they are still only 3 points off the top. However a failure to win away is really hampering their title ambitions and there’s little margin for error here against the side directly below them in the table. Alaves are having a cracking campaign but they are now in the midst of a tricky run of fixtures that could see them fall back.

They equipped themselves pretty well in the first of those games last weekend. A 1-1 draw against Sevilla in Vitoria was a solid result but there is a bit of a sense now that their time at the very top end of La Liga may be heading towards an end. They were beaten 1-0 by Leganes on their last trip to Madrid a fortnight ago and it’s just 4 points from 4 league games now for Abelardo’s men, 3 of them coming courtesy of a home win against bottom club Huesca.

Atletico Madrid will have to do without Diego Costa for a spell now after he had surgery this week. Given his distinct lack of goals, it’s debatable how much he will be missed but it does present Diego Simeone with a few decisions to make about how he shapes up this team in his absence. Nikola Kalinic would be the most natural replacement but he could go for a slightly different approach with Gelson Martins.

Despite only drawing at Girona, Simeone would have been relatively encouraged by the display which was one of their more controlling this season. However a return of 25 points from 14 games is poor by their standards and while they’ve only lost once, there is now a more genuine argument to be made, that they’d have had more success this term had they employed a slightly more expansive approach.

Atletico Madrid vs Alaves Predictions

Score Prediction: 2-0 Atletico Madrid

While Alaves’ success this term hasn’t been purely down to luck, they have been nicking lots of tight games and in truth aren’t quite as good as their current 4th place suggests. With home advantage it’s hard to look past Atletico Madrid here and the hosts should rack up a routine enough win to nil.

Atletico Madrid vs Alaves H2H

• Last 6 meetings: 3 Atleti Wins, 3 Draws.
• Atleti won both meetings 1-0 last term.
• Alaves last beat Atleti in May 2003 at the Calderon.
• The nine meetings this century have all produced two or fewer goals.

One to Watch – Nikola Kalinic

?⚽? Kalinic busca su primer gol oficial 199 días después. #Atleti #CopaDelRey

➡ https://t.co/5nrlqwfA3M pic.twitter.com/Cz695Shp4t

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atletico_MD) December 4, 2018

Diego Costa went under the knife this week which looks set to hand Nikola Kalinic an extended run in the side. The big Croatian will be hoping to make his mark.

Keep tabs on all our La Liga predictions this weekend.

Predicted Line Ups

Atletico Madrid Team:

Oblak – Arias, Savic, Gimenez, Hernandez – Saul, Partey, Rodri, Lemar – Kalinic, Griezmann (4-4-2)

Alaves Team:

Pacheco – Duaret, Laguardia, Navarro, Aguirregabiria – Jony, Wakaso, Pina, Garcia, Ibai – Calleri (4-5-1)