The two sides started the season with top 4 ambitions, but things haven’t worked as planned so far, meaning that both Malaga and Atletico Madrid will have something to prove at La Rosaleda.

Following the heavy summer recruitment, Malaga started the season well, hinting that they might be able to enter the race for the Champions League places.

However, the three-match losing run in October acted as a real blow to the players’ confidence, although Manuel Pellegrini’s men managed to show some improvement since.

After losing to Valencia in La Liga, Malaga eliminated Getafe from Copa del Rey, before losing to Real Madrid in the next round despite being two goals up at half-time.

The win over rivals Atletico Madrid would be a perfect way to make amends for the missed chance at the Bernabeu, so bear in mind that Victor Chandler pays 2.25 (5/4) on home win.

Manuel Pellegrini has no fresh injury worries, although Joaquin Sanchez remains on the sidelines.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Caballero – Sanchez, Demichelis, Mathijsen, Monreal – Toulalan, Apono – Cazorla, Isco, Fernandez – Van Nistelrooy.

Atletico Madrid start every season with big ambitions, but they always find a way to disappoint their supporters.

Some people thought that this would be a breakthrough season for los Colchoneros after players like Falcao, Turan, Adrian and Diego arrived in the summer, but how they were wrong.

Atletico started the league campaign well but soon started struggling and have now lost four of last five games in all competitions.

The club chiefs finally decided to sack Gregorio Manzano and appointed their former player Diego Simeone to replace him, with everybody at the club hoping the Argentine can wake up the players and help them kick-start their season.

In spite of that, the odds of 3.50 (5/2) offered by Ladbrokes on away win do not represent a real value for money.

Jose Antonio Reyes is set to complete his transfer to Sevilla and he is definitely out, just like Diego Costa, who is few weeks away from making a return.

Probable starting line-up (4-1-4-1): Courtois – Perea, Godin, Dominguez, Filipe Luis – Tiago – Juanfran, Koke, Diego, Salvio – Falcao.