Having secured progress into the Champions League quarter-finals, Atletico Madrid desperately need to get their La Liga campaign back on track after winning just one of last five matches. Getafe slipped into the danger zone as they suffered a home loss to Real Sociedad and now face a very difficult task when facing the local rivals.

Jan Oblak an unlikely hero

Following some impressive performances in the first part of the season, Atletico Madrid suffered a dip in form after the turn of the year, and some under-par showings saw them eliminated from Copa del Rey as well as ended their La Liga title bid. The 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen also acted as a serious blow, but los Colchoneros did well to win the return match 1-0 before going on to secure their place in the quarter-finals after penalties. It was back-up keeper Jan Oblak who proved the hero after replacing injured Miguel Angel Moya and he is now set to finally make his first La Liga appearance. The reality is Diego Simeone’s charges have been far from impressive on domestic stage of late, recording three straight draws, although they were very unfortunate not to beat Espanyol last time out. But, having finally recorded a morale-boosting victory in midweek, Atletico can be trusted to return to winning ways against Getafe and ensure another Champions League qualification is not in danger.

While Joao Miranda is banned, the likes of Miguel Angel Moya, Saul Niguez and Raul Garcia are out injured, whereas Mario Mandzukic is doubtful.

Getafe in danger zone

Having failed to mount a serious challenge for European positions in quite a while and also somehow avoiding the relegation tussle in recent years, Getafe do not exactly offer their fans plenty of excitement, although this season could change that. Namely, with 11 games to go, los Azulones sit just four points above the bottom three and it appears they are in for a difficult survival battle. The interesting thing is that Getafe do not have a single La Liga draw in 2015, having won 4 and losing 7 of last eleven matches, while their poor away form is another cause for concern. Ahead of the narrow win over rock-bottom Cordoba, los Azulones had lost five straight matches on the road, so I seriously doubt they can fare much better against the reigning league champions. The visitors also have some important missings and if Atletico defenders manage to keep Alvaro Vazquez quiet, they should have no problems winning the game to nil.

Important midfielder Juan Rodriguez is suspended, whilst Angel Lafita remains sidelined with a knee ligament injury.

Verdict

Atletico Madrid appear to be slowly raising their form and having kept three clean sheets in last four matches, they should be able to record a comfortable win over one of La Liga’s worst travellers. Getafe tend to struggle when facing top sides on the road, and chances are they will be even closer to the bottom three after the clash at Vicente Calderon.

Top pick: Atletico/Atletico   1.91 (10/11) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Atletico -1.5 AH   2.08 (27/25) @ bet365

Alternative pick 2: Atletico to win to nil   1.83 (5/6) @ SkyBet