Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be eyeing their fourth straight win in La Liga when they host a struggling Levante side.

Having won just two games in La Liga so far, Levante UD will be eager to get back to winning ways, but going up against giants Atletico Madrid away from home certainly won’t be easy, given their recent form.

After a disappointing start to the season, the home team have slowly climbed back up to fourth in the league table. They now have 22 points in their 11 outings, thanks to six wins, four draws and a defeat. Los Rojiblancos have been unbeaten in La Liga since the opening weekend, and they have won each of their last three league outings.

Atletico Madrid secured a clinical 3-0 win over Sevilla in their last league outing, and they backed it up with a 3-1 win over Union SG in the UEFA Champions League. The Colchoneros will certainly be confident of securing another three points in this fixture.

Meanwhile, the visitors are 16th on the table with nine points in their 11 outings, with two wins, three draws and six defeats. While it has been a disappointing start for them, the newly promoted outfit will still be pleased to see that they are not in the drop zone.

Levante are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 defeat against Celta Vigo. Despite going down to ten men quite early in the game, they did put up a strong fight. However, an injury-time strike by Miguel Roman Gonzalez meant they came out empty-handed. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Atletico Madrid

The home team will be without the services of Robin Le Normand, but they do have a boost as Pablo Barrios is back in the mix and should start here. Atletico Madrid will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal.

Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri should feature as the full-backs, while Jose Maria Gimenez should pair up with David Hancko in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Pablo Barrios and Koke should form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will not only shield the backline but also look to control the tempo of the game.

Guiliano Simeone and Nico Gonzalez will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Alex Baena will take up the number ten role, while Julian Alvarez will lead the line for Atletico Madrid against Levante on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Hancko, Ruggeri; Barrios, Koke; Simeone, Baena, Gonzalez; Alvarez

Levante

Levante will be without the services of Ivan Romero, Carlos Espi and Pablo Martinez because of injury. Meanwhile, Unai Vencedor will be serving a suspension in this fixture.

The visitors will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Mathew Ryan will feature in goal. In the heart of the defence, Adrian de la Fuente will start alongside Unai Elgezabal and Matias Moreno. The trio will certainly have a long day at the office, but they will receive significant support from Jeremy Toljan and Manu Sanchez, who will feature as the wing-backs.

As for the midfield unit, Kervin Arriaga will start alongside Jon Ander Olasagasti in the centre of the park. The Levante central midfield duo will look to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.

Carlos Alvarez and Roger Brugue will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, the highly sought-after Etta Eyong will spearhead the Levante attack against Atletico Madrid this weekend.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Ryan; Elgezabal, Moreno, de la Fuente; Toljan, Arriaga, Olasagasti, Sanchez; Alvarez, Eyong, Brugue

Key Stats

• In the last 36 meetings between the two teams, Atletico Madrid have won 22 times, while Levante have ten wins.
• Last time the two teams met was back in January 2023 in the Copa del Rey, and Atletico Madrid secured a 2-0 away from home.
• In four out of Levante’s last five outings, both teams have found the back of the net.
• Atletico Madrid have been unbeaten in their last ten league outings.
• Diego Simeone’s team have won five out of their last six league outings.

Player to Watch

Alex Baena

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Since returning from an injury that forced him to miss the initial phase of the season, Baena has slowly gained prominence under Diego Simeone. The Spaniard has been a constant feature in their XI in recent weeks, and he has backed it up with impressive performances.

The young playmaker’s versatility is coming in handy for the Argentine manager, and he even has two goal contributions in La Liga. While Julian Alvarez tends to have all the limelight these days, Baena could certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture.

Prediction

Atletico Madrid 3-0 Levante

Atletico Madrid will be aiming to extend their winning run to four games when they welcome Levante to the Metropolitano on Saturday. Diego Simeone’s men have hit top gear in recent weeks, climbing back into the top four with a string of dominant performances.

With Julian Alvarez in fine form and Alex Baena pulling the strings in midfield, Atletico Madrid are expected to dictate the tempo from the outset and continue their surge up the table.  Levante, meanwhile, face an uphill battle against one of the most in-form teams in Spain. The visitors have managed just two league wins all season and are struggling to find any sort of rhythm.

Despite their fighting display in the narrow defeat to Celta Vigo, defensive lapses and lack of cutting edge remain major concerns. Missing key players through injury and suspension will only make their task harder in Madrid. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.