High-flying Valencia will attempt to keep the excellent run going against reigning champions Atletico Madrid, with both sides currently mere two points behind leaders Barcelona.

Buoyed by the impressive triumphs over Sevilla and Juventus, los Colchoneros arrive at Mestalla brimming with confidence.

There have been plenty of reason for optimism at Valencia over the summer as soon-to-be new owner Peter Lim already left his mark by securing the signatures of Rodrigo Moreno and Ander Gomes, players owned by his investment fund, while more quality players joined the ranks.

And with new coach Nuno Espirito Santo also arriving, los Che were not exactly expected to hit the ground running early on, but they largely impressed in the opening exchanges to prove this team have got loads of potential.

Opening draw at Sevilla was followed by four straight wins in which the team scored a total of 12 goals to climb to the top of the standings, hinting a top 4 finish was a realistic possibility.

And even if they have slipped from the La Liga summit following the 1-1 draw at Anoeta, los Che have every right to be delighted with their result up to this point.

The excellent run will have given players much needed confidence ahead of the clash with holders Atletico Madrid, where home win pays 2.88 (17/9).

Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo will be boosted by the return of Pablo Piatti, who has recovered from a muscle problem, but Alvaro Negredo is still a couple of weeks away from making his return.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Alves – Barragan, Otamendi, Mustafi, Gaya – Parejo, Fuego – Rodrigo, Gomes, Piatti – Alcacer.

Having enjoyed a great deal of success last season, Atletico Madrid need to prove they are still a force to be reckoned with in Spain and Europe, and they seem to have no problems with big expectations.

Los Colchoneros had a pretty disappointing start to the Champions League campaign, losing to Olympiakos in Athens, but they quickly made amends for the unexpected loss.

Atletico did well to record a hard-fought win over Serie A champions Juventus, a team that had won all six matches without conceding prior to the trip to Vicente Calderon.

Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s charges have continued to impress on domestic stage, winning four and drawing two of the first six fixtures to climb to third in the league standings.

Following the away triumph over Real Madrid and 4-0 victory against red-hot Sevilla, los Colchoneros can be backed at 2.75 (7/4) to stop Valencia in their tracks.

Diego Simeone might be tempted to rest some of his players after the difficult game against Juventus, but Mario Suarez is available after shaking off a minor knock.

Probable starting line-up (4-4-2): Moya – Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Siqueira – Koke, Mario, Gabi, Turan – Mandzukic, Griezmann.