Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid predictions and match preview for Wednesday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Diego Simeone’s men head to the RCDE Stadium.
| Date | Wednesday 24th May 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 22:00 (CEST) |
| Stadium | RCDE Stadium |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid Preview
Wednesday’s action in LaLiga concludes at the RCDE Stadium where Espanyol are in desperate need of springing a surprise against Atletico Madrid. They picked up a vital win last time out and will be hoping their fans can produce a big atmosphere here for the visit of Diego Simeone’s side.
Truth be told, Espanyol didn’t play brilliantly in Vallecas at the weekend but aided by the impressive Sergi Darder, they scored two goals and hung on for a vital three points. They remain 19th despite the win, but are only one point off safety heading into this matchday. Two wins will give them a shot of survival and they’ll hope to at least take it to the final weekend when they host fellow strugglers Almeria in a winnable game.
The one thing that gives Espanyol hope is their ability to score goals. They’ve only failed to score in one of their 21 LaLiga matches since the World Cup. That’s a really impressive record that suggests they should be competing nearer the top of the league than at the very bottom, but it’s also testament to just how bad things have been at the other end at times. They’ll certainly need to be better defensively here than they were in the recent derby collapse against Barcelona in their last home fixture.
Atletico Madrid have been the most impressive side in 2023 in LaLiga and they’ve won 10 of their last 12 matches for a return of 30 points. They’ve been playing some good football and again impressed at home, with a 3-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend. Goals from Yannick Carrasco, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa sealed that success and all three may start again here.
The final three games offer an opportunity for someone like Saul as he tries to forge his way back into Diego Simeone’s thinking on a more permanent basis. The visitors do have selection issues at both ends of the pitch though which will limit their options in terms of rotation. Forwards Alvaro Morata and Memphis Depay are carrying injuries while Jan Oblak may again miss this game with Ivo Grbic currently getting an extended run in the side.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Espanyol
| INJURED | Braithwaite |
| DOUBTFUL | Gragera |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Pacheco – Olivan, Cabrera, Montes, Calero, Gil – Suarez, Darder, Melamed – Puado, Joselu (5-3-2)
Coach: Luis Garcia
Atletico Madrid
| INJURED | Reinildo, Savic, Depay |
| DOUBTFUL | Oblak, Lemar, Llorente, Morata |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Grbic – Hermoso, Witsel, Gimenez – Carrasco, Koke, De Paul, Saul, Molina – Griezmann, Correa (3-5-2)
Coach: Diego Simeone
Score Prediction: Espanyol 2-2 Atletico Madrid
While Atleti are pushing for 2nd place, this is a much more important game for Espanyol. If they can at least get a foothold in the game, something they spectacularly failed to do against Barcelona in their last home game, Espanyol should be able to get their fans involved in this game which will make it tougher for their opponents and they carry enough of a goal threat to potentially get a result.
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