It was Atletico who robbed Valencia of the ‘best of the rest’ tag in Spanish La Liga, so this will be a perfect opportunity for los Che to show they still have what it takes to mix it up with the best of them. Los Colchoneros, on the other hand, are tied on points with leaders Barcelona after winning their last eight league games, and it goes without saying Diego Simeone’s men will be looking to extend the amazing run.
No cure for travel sickness
Valencia embarked on a new era when boss Unai Emery as well as several talented players left the club during off season. Los Che did well to sign a number of quality footballers in the summer, but numerous selection problems prevented the team from gelling properly during the early exchanges. As a result, Valencia have been pretty inconsistent at the start of the season, with their performances on the travels a definite cause for concern. Following the 1-1 draw at Santiago Bernabeu, los Che have lost four straight away games in La Liga, so they will be glad to face Atletico Madrid at their Mestalla. On the other hand, Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have stabilized their home form, winning last four home games there, and that can give them team much needed optimism ahead of the clash with red-hot Atletico.
Boss Mauricio Pellegrino rested most of his starters in the Copa del Rey win over Llagostera, meaning that Soldado, Cissokho, Tino Costa and few others will be restored to the starting line-up.
Can anyone stop Atletico?
Having gotten used to watching their team struggle to fulfill the expectations season after season, Atletico fans were certainly delighted to see los Colchoneros embark on a good run of results soon after the arrival of Diego Simeone. They ended the last season in style by winning the Europa League title, but little did everyone know that it was just the beginning for the Vicente Calderon outfit. Following the opening draw with Levante, Atletico recorded impressive wins over Athletic Bilbao and Chelsea to embark on a magnificent run that would see them win no less than 13 straight games in all competitions. Led by amazing Radamel Falcao Garcia, but with his teammates also pitching in, los Colchoneros have climbed to the top of the standings and they seem to have no desire to let go. If they win in Valencia, Atletico will prove they are as serious title contenders as can be.
Cristian Rodrigiez and Diego Costa are both injury doubts, but Falcao, Turan, Emre, Juanfran and other regular starters are back having been rested in midweek.
Verdict
With Valencia eager to record their fifth home win in a row, and Atletico looking to extend their winning record to 14 games, we could easily see goals galore at Mestalla. This match seems to be too close to goal, but at least we should see two attack-minded sides scoring goals for fun.
Top pick: Over 2.5 goals 1.80 (4/5) @ SkyBet
Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score 1.62 (8/13) @ Ladbrokes
Alternative pick 2: Falcao to score 2.25 (5/4) @ Stan James
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