Atl. Madrid vs Valencia prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-03-17 20:00.
After battling it out on the pitch as players almost 20 years ago, Diego Simeone and Rubén Baraja will clash in the dugout when Atlético Madrid meet Valencia for La Liga (LL) action before the international break. Simeone might feel confident of setting a personal record straight after he was bested by Baraja in their playing days (W1, D2, L3) with his in-form side having lost just one league game since the World Cup pause (W7, D3).
The side from the Spanish capital now sit comfortably within the top four after winning 1-0 away to Girona last round. But it has been their improvements at the Metropolitan Stadium, where they have lost only to table-toppers Barcelona since September (W5, D3), that has been responsible for their improvement. Perhaps an even more ominous sign for the visitors however is that Simeoneâs troops arrive knowing that theyâve not lost to their upcoming opponents in 16 straight LL games – their longest-ever such unbeaten run against Valencia.
In fact, recent reports have described Valenciaâs trip to AtlĂ©ti as a âvisit to the dentistâ as theyâre also winless in their last 11 away league H2Hs (D4, L7), dating back to 2011 when the legendary JoaquĂn scored a brace! Los Che certainly showed their bite last weekend and arrived on the back of a crucial 1-0 victory over Osasuna which lifted them above the drop zone on goal difference ahead of the round, but on this occasion have the tough task of ending LLâs longest active losing streak in away games (L6).
Newly-appointed Barajaâs overall record since being appointed is evenly split however (W2, L2) with each game ending 1-0, which is curiously a scoreline AtlĂ©tico have won by in four of their last five LL triumphs. âPipoâ will at least be boosted by the return of striker Edinson Cavani, as they try to fix their shortage of away goals with only CĂĄdiz managing fewer than their eight LL away strikes ahead of the round.
Players to watch: Against no other side has AtlĂ©ti forward Antoine Griezmann scored more LL goals than his 11 against Valencia, with the French international also striking in his sideâs last two home outings. The hosts might regret not applying a clause when Valencia loaned Samuel Lino, who is ready to feature against his parent club, particularly as the winger assisted his sideâs winning goal last time out.
Hot stat: At the end of last round, no side had scored more LL goals than Atlético (nine) in the 15 minutes directly after HT.