Two clubs in the opposite halves of the Spanish Liga table will do battle today in a league match between Atlético Madrid and Real Betis. The first-division clash scheduled for 12 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville and can be live streamed here free.
Despite being separated in the league table by a whopping 48 points, Atlético Madrid boss Diego Simeone is not overlooking his opposition (h/t to Luke Sheehan of Goal). "I expect to face a Real Betis team that has grown a lot under Gabriel Calderon's charge," Simeone told reporters. "They've competed very well in their recent games. They surely suffered a tough blow last Thursday against Sevilla [in the Europa League]," he added.
"But they have improved in La Liga and that is what I look at. They have balance in midfield as well as toughness and intensity. So we obviously have to play the way we have until now. We hope to respond in the best way possible going into this hard fixture because of the rival's necessities. For them it's a must-win game. So it is for us. It'll be a game with benefits for both teams at stake.
"The aims are obviously different for each side."
The aims for both clubs couldn't be more different. Betis are chasing salvation. Madrid are chasing title aspirations. Which club will benefit from a positive result when the final whistle blows?
Tell us @SportsWN
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Atlético Madrid's Gabi has been the defensive bite in the club's midfield. The 30-year-old is averaging 4.2 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per match this season.
Real Betis' Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Adán; Chica, Figueras, Perquis, Juanfran; Reyes, Nono; Cedrick, Sevilla, Baptistao; Castro
Atlético Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Luis, Miranda, Godin, Juanfran; Turan, Gabi, Suárez, Koke; Costa, Garcia
Spanish League Table
|
RNK |
TEAM |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
PTS |
|||
|
1 |
Real Madrid |
28 |
22 |
4 |
2 |
77 |
26 |
51 |
70 |
|||
|
2 |
Atlético Madrid |
28 |
21 |
4 |
3 |
64 |
21 |
43 |
67 |
|||
|
3 |
FC Barcelona |
28 |
21 |
3 |
4 |
81 |
22 |
59 |
66 |
|||
|
4 |
Athletic Club |
29 |
16 |
7 |
6 |
52 |
32 |
20 |
55 |
|||
|
5 |
Real Sociedad |
28 |
13 |
7 |
8 |
49 |
39 |
10 |
46 |
|||
|
6 |
Villarreal CF |
28 |
13 |
6 |
9 |
48 |
34 |
14 |
45 |
|||
|
7 |
Sevilla FC |
28 |
12 |
8 |
8 |
51 |
43 |
8 |
44 |
|||
|
8 |
RCD Espanyol |
29 |
10 |
7 |
12 |
32 |
34 |
-2 |
37 |
|||
|
9 |
Levante UD |
29 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
26 |
35 |
-9 |
37 |
|||
|
10 |
Valencia CF |
28 |
10 |
6 |
12 |
39 |
39 |
0 |
36 |
|||
|
11 |
Granada CF |
29 |
10 |
4 |
15 |
28 |
39 |
-11 |
34 |
|||
|
12 |
Celta de Vigo |
29 |
9 |
6 |
14 |
33 |
41 |
-8 |
33 |
|||
|
13 |
Málaga CF |
29 |
8 |
8 |
13 |
28 |
36 |
-8 |
32 |
|||
|
14 |
Elche CF |
29 |
7 |
9 |
13 |
24 |
41 |
-17 |
30 |
|||
|
15 |
Rayo Vallecano |
29 |
9 |
3 |
17 |
33 |
63 |
-30 |
30 |
|||
|
16 |
Osasuna |
28 |
8 |
5 |
15 |
24 |
48 |
-24 |
29 |
|||
|
17 |
Getafe CF |
29 |
7 |
7 |
15 |
26 |
46 |
-20 |
28 |
|||
|
18 |
Real Valladolid |
29 |
5 |
12 |
12 |
31 |
49 |
-18 |
27 |
|||
|
19 |
UD Almería |
28 |
7 |
5 |
16 |
27 |
52 |
-25 |
26 |
|||
|
20 |
Real Betis |
28 |
4 |
7 |
17 |
23 |
56 |
-33 |
19 |
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