Prediction: Malaga vs Atletico Madrid

18th December 2010

Following the heavy defeat to Hercules, Malaga desperately need a win to escape the relegation zone, even if they face a tough task against Atletico Madrid. Los Colchoneros hope to put the elimination from Europe behind them and further improve their position in the La Liga standings with three points from La Rosaleda.

Malaga’s poor showings in the first part of the season are not all that surprising seeing they had changed a big portion of the squad last summer and the team were always going to need some time to gel. The club management soon lost patience with Jesualdo Ferreira and brought Manuel Pellegrini to replace him, with the former Real Madrid boss doing a little better than his predecessor, having led the team to two wins in five games. Both victories were achieved at home, proving La Rosaleda are slowly becoming a kind of a fortress and los Boquerones are hoping to keep it that way. It will be hard for the hosts to recover from the 4:1 defeat at Heracles last weekend but with Atletico in similar position, the lack of confidence shouldn’t be considered a disadvantage. Seba Fernandez, Kris Stadsgaard and Welington are expected to shake off their injuries and start the game, leaving Apono as the only unavailable player for this clash.

Just like the last few, this season is a real rollercoaster ride for Atletico Madrid. Everything started with the European Super Cup victory and some good results in La Liga, but that didn’t last long as los Colchoneros soon started to struggle. Just as they ended the three-match losing run by beating Deportivo, the team were eliminated from Europe after the stalemate against Bayer Leverkusen, and domestic competitions are now all that’s left. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing as Quique Sanchez Flores’ side will be able to fully focus on the La Liga campaign and try to clinch a Champions League place. Atletico’s poor away record doesn’t give them much reason for confidence before the Malaga game but looking at the team sheet, one cannot help but expect the visitors to take at least one point from La Rosaleda. Boss Flores has absolutely no selection worries since Antonio Reyes returns to the starting line-up after he was rested against Bayer.

Conclusion

Both teams are going through a rough patch, but are showing glimpses of quality, and everything suggests this will be a very tight game. Malaga play well at their La Rosaleda, while Atletico are superior in terms of quality, so I expect the teams to cancel each other out and recommend betting on draw, even if both sides will be looking for a win.

Verdict: Draw (X)

Best Odds: 5/2

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler