Relegation-bound Espanyol will go up against Atlético de Madrid at the RCDE Stadium for a midweek La Liga clash this Wednesday.
After rekindling some hopes of survival over the weekend away from home, Espanyol must try their hardest to salvage something from this mismatched showdown. Atlético's job remains pretty much the same by retaining the second spot until the season comes to a close.
Espanyol's statement win against Rayo Vallecano was inspirational as this campaign has not been easy for manager Luis García. The Parakeets have fared poorly from last season's 14th-placed finish. Talking about their recent form- the side has won two and lost three in their five league games.
The White and Blues stand 19th in the La Liga table, with 34 points. With three more games left to draw the curtains, they are one point adrift of safety. But to paint a complete picture, two other sides- Getafe (17th) and Real Valladolid (18th) essentially are in the relegation mix, having the same number of points (35), but are distinguished by their goal differences.
Though Espanyol has a better goal difference than Valladolid, they need results to make that factor meaningful. The Catalan-based club has additionally kept a respectable margin in finding the back of the net, even when struggling at the bottom of the La Liga standings. That attacking line has been aided by forward Joselu, who ranks 3rd in the top scorer's charts, scoring 15 goals this season.
Fighting tooth and nail to stay ahead of their cross-city rivals in Real Madrid, it's all about bragging rights for Diego Simeone's men. Fighting against bad luck, the Colchoneros managed to pull themselves up despite Alvaro Morata's efforts of two goals getting chopped off in the first 15 minutes against Osasuna. Winning the contest 3-0 encapsulated how clinical the capital side has been in their domestic campaign.
Finishing the season strongly, only behind the La Liga Champions, would work satisfactorily for the Indios. With one loss out of their last five league games, Atlético looks dominant. Champions League football for next season is secured. Now, they hold all the cards heading into the final three games, standing 2nd with one extra point to Real.
The hosts added defender Sergi Gomez to their concerns alongside Jose Gragera (discomfort) and Martin Braithwaite (muscle) getting sidelined for this weekend's showdown.
The visitors will continue to manage without Jan Oblak (neck), Thomas Lemar (hamstring), Memphis Depay (calf), Marcos Llorente (adductor), Stefan Savic (toe), and Reinildo (ACL) for the time being. Morata got replaced in their last outing with a neck issue, and he remains doubtful.
Football fans around the U.K. can catch every action live on Viaplay Sports 2 or LaLigaTV.
Expert Insight: During the winter, the reverse fixture resulted in a stalemate. Desperation for Espanyol and Atlético would make this a high-scoring contest. Though the visitors are the second-best defensive side in La Liga, they actually failed to keep a clean sheet for seven straight games before the Osasuna game. That promises a lot of hope for the hosts to salvage at least a point from this one, but it sure won't be easy.
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