Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo will hope for a fruitful visit at the Wanda Metropolitano as they lock horns with La Liga table leaders Atletico Madrid.
The visitors have yet to win their first game in 2021 as their form has tailed off, and the gap between them and the hosts have widened.
Eduardo Coudet’s side is currently 10th at the table with 25 points – which is 25 points adrift over Atletico Madrid who are looking unstoppable as of the moment.
With the way Los Rojiblancos are playing, this season’s championship is theirs for the taking.
Diego Simeone’s men are 10 points clear over perennial rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, while teams such as Sevilla, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad are basically not in their league.
Other than playing an inspired brand of football, Atletico Madrid had the fortune of having a clean bill of health for a big chunk of their campaign compared to others, which is why this Monday showdown will present a different challenge.
They are expected to miss players due to COVID-19, which means that their available stars will be tasked to carry a much heavier load.
Can Atleti cope well without some of their key cogs? Or will the visitors put themselves back in the grid with an unlikely victory?
Read on below as SBOTOP examines these two clubs in this match preview.
Talking points
Atletico Madrid are undermanned out front
Los Rojiblancos were on the wrong end of the La Liga 2021 news as they learned that Joao Felix and Moussa Dembele won’t be available anytime soon.
Both centre-forwards are positive for the coronavirus and they will undergo self-isolation for at least 10 days.
Felix seemed to be in good health as he played for more than an hour during Atleti’s win over Cadiz last Sunday. But after a routine medical check, it was confirmed that he has contracted COVID-19.
The same goes to Moussa Dembele, who was Atletico Madrid’s most recent addition via loan last January.
The former Lyon forward was revealed to have tested positive following teammate Joao Felix and he has yet to make his debut for Los Rojiblancos.
Atletico Madrid now have four players who are currently self-isolating as Yannick Carrasco and Mario Hermoso were the previous players who tested positive, further adding to Diego Simeone’s team selection headache.
With all of them out, the pressure is on Luis Suarez to continue playing his best ball.
The former Barcelona forward leads the team with 14 goals and two assists and he is experiencing a renaissance in his new home.
The good thing for Atletico Madrid, however, is that they are in the lighter part of their La Liga schedule. And as they are peaking at the right time, one can argue that this year’s title is for theirs to lose.
Celta Vigo desperate to regain winning form
After an electric run from November to December, Celta Vigo’s form has dipped dramatically and now they are eager to break out of their rut.
The first domino fell when they lost to Real Madrid to kick-off 2021. And since then, they have gathered two losses and two draws.
Iago Aspas, who leads the team with nine goals and six assists, can’t seem to find his shooting boots as he has yet to open his account this year.
Besides Aspas, Nolito, Brais Mendez, and Santi Mina have been inconsistent at goal for Celta Vigo.
Their lack of scoring has been the culprit for the Galicians’ crash as they’ve only scored two goals in their last four games.
History
Prior to Monday, Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo have faced off in 32 matches.
Los Rojiblancos have the advantage in the overall head-to-head with 16 wins, while the Galicians have won in nine along with seven draws.
In the reverse fixture last October, Atletico Madrid won 2-0 against Celta Vigo as Luis Suarez and Yannick Carrasco scored one goal each during the sixth minute and in added time.
Betting Tip
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Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo | Atletico Madrid Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.29 |
| February 9, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
The La Liga 2021 odds see the hosts winning at home via a considerable margin.
Atletico Madrid are pegged to win at 1.68, while Celta Vigo are priced at 5.00 and a draw is at 3.70 in the 1×2 market.
Despite missing valuable cogs for this contest, Diego Simeone still has a deep roster that is enough to push them through another big victory.
Celta Vigo, on the other hand, can pose a strong challenge against the hosts. However, there is a reason why Atletico Madrid are at the summit in the first place.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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