Atlético Madrid vs Real Valladolid

Atletico Madrid will aim to secure back-to-back victories in La Liga as they host bottom-placed Real Valladolid on Monday evening.

Under Diego Simeone, Atletico currently sit third in the league standings, trailing second-placed Real Madrid by three points. Meanwhile, Real Valladolid languish at the foot of the table, a daunting 14 points adrift of safety, with Alaves in 17th.

Atletico’s recent 2-1 triumph over Sevilla, sealed by a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Pablo Barrios, gave them a vital boost. However, their season has hit rough patches lately, with eliminations from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid and a Copa del Rey semi-final loss to Barcelona.

Their hopes of clinching the La Liga title have faded, as they sit seven points behind leaders Barcelona, making a comeback seem unlikely. Still, Atletico are comfortably positioned for a top-four finish, leading fifth-placed Villarreal by 12 points and fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao by six.

Catching Real Madrid for second place remains a realistic target, with just a three-point gap separating them. Atletico will be ready to capitalize if Barcelona slip up in the closing stages of the season.

For Real Valladolid, it’s been a grim campaign. With only four wins, four draws, and 22 losses from 30 matches, they’ve managed just 16 points. Alvaro Rubio’s team heads into this clash on the back of four consecutive defeats against Valencia, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, and Getafe, leaving them 14 points short of survival with only eight games to go.

In terms of goals scored and goals given up, Real Valladolid's figures make for unpleasant reading, and unless something very special occurs, they will be playing football in the Segunda Division next season.

In fact, the White and Violets have the lowest attacking record in the division with just 19 goals scored, while their defensive record is by far the worst with 69 goals given up.

In Spain's top division, Real Valladolid has lost six straight games against Atletico, including a 5-0 loss earlier this season. The capital team also defeated them 3-0 in their most recent visit to Wanda Metropolitano in January 2023.