Prediction: Atletico Madrid vs Las Palmas

Verdict: Total goals under 2.5

Best odds: 13/10

Bookmaker: Betfair

Playing host to Las Palmas on Sunday, Atletico Madrid will look to bounce back in La Liga after recent setbacks, eager to regain ground on league leaders Barcelona. Diego Simeone’s side have slipped to fourth place and find themselves a significant 10 points adrift, making a return to winning ways crucial to keep pace with the title contenders.

Meanwhile, the visitors head to the Wanda Metropolitano with a vastly different goal. The Canary Islanders sit 18th in the standings and are fighting to escape the relegation zone, having managed just nine points from their first 11 matches.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid enter this weekend’s fixture with mixed form, standing fourth in La Liga with 20 points from 11 matches, yet finding themselves in need of consistency across competitions. After a 3-1 Champions League defeat to Lille and a narrow 1-0 league loss at Real Betis, Simeone’s side were in desperate need of a morale boost, which came on Thursday with a 2-0 Copa del Rey victory over Vic, courtesy of a Julian Alvarez brace.

In the Champions League, Atletico sit precariously in 27th place, having won only two of their last seven games overall. With their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage hanging by a thread, Atletico will view Sunday’s game as a must-win to regain stability and keep up in the La Liga title race.

One thing certain to boost the hopes for a home victory in this match is the 5-0 win Atletico recorded in the same fixture last season.

Team News

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is set to overhaul his lineup for Sunday’s La Liga clash against Las Palmas, bringing back key players who were rested in the Copa del Rey. This includes Koke, Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Rodrigo De Paul, Jose Gimenez, and Samuel Lino, all of whom are anticipated to strengthen the starting XI.

However, Atletico will remain without several injured players: Cesar Azpilicueta, Clement Lenglet, Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente, and Robin Le Normand are all sidelined. Additionally, Thomas Lemar, who had to exit early in the last match, is doubtful. Alexander Sorloth is likely to be named on the bench, with Julian Alvarez and Griezmann expected to lead the attack as a duo.

Las Palmas

Las Palmas may have started the season on a challenging note, but their recent performances have sparked optimism. Under Diego Martinez, they enter Sunday’s clash on a three-game winning streak across all competitions, including two crucial La Liga victories.

Their first league win came with a 3-2 success over Valencia, followed by a tight 1-0 win against Girona, thanks to Alex Munoz’s decisive goal. Confidence further surged with a dominant 7-0 Copa del Rey victory over Ontinena.

While Las Palmas finished 16th last season, this recent run reflects their best La Liga form since 2018, suggesting they could mount a serious fight to avoid relegation.

Historical trends may favor Atletico – Las Palmas have conceded 18 goals in their last four league losses to them – but Las Palmas can draw encouragement from their 2-1 victory in the sides’ previous meeting at Estadio Gran Canaria in November 2023.

Team News

Las Palmas will head into their match against Atletico Madrid with a solid squad, missing only Marvin Park and Adnan Januzaj due to injury. Head coach Diego Martinez is likely to maintain continuity by fielding the same starting XI that faced Girona last weekend. Fabio Silva is set to lead the attack once again.

Jaime Mata showcased his scoring ability with four goals in the Copa del Rey victory over Ontinena on Thursday, but despite his impressive performance, it seems unlikely he will break into the starting lineup against Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Conclusion

Las Palmas may be high on confidence at the moment and they’re likely to pose a challenge for the inconsistent Atletico, but the sheer quality of Simeone’s side should be enough to see all three points remain in Madrid.

But it will be contested closely, possibly with no more than one or two goals in the whole game.

Verdict: Total goals under 2.5

Best odds: 13/10

Bookmaker: Betfair