Two clubs in opposite halves of the Spanish Liga table will do battle today in a league match between Levante and Atletico Madrid. The first-division clash scheduled for 11 a.m. ET will be held at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia in Valencia and can be live streamed here free.
The game-by-game approach of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone will truly be tested this afternoon. After undressing English outfit Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, Madrid return to the Spanish Liga in hopes of maintaining its lead. Knowing a lack of concentration can cost them the league title, Simeone demands the same performance synonymous with Atletico's game (h/t to Inside Spanish Football). "Tomorrow we have a hard match against a team that works defensively very well," he said.
"They play highly competitive matches. We had a tough game against them in the first half of the season. That's why we expect a match in the same lines, where we'll have to play a very intense game. Levante will be a competitive team for sure, a team we highly respect and which will demand a lot from us," he added.
"We know how important this fixture is against a rival that doesn't yield many goals, especially at home. If I'm not mistaken, they've only conceded 15 goals at home, which is a good number defensively speaking. I greatly admire their coach for how he competes, how he fights and where he's been.
"He's left his mark. We're all on the same line of being focused on tomorrow's fixture."
Will Atletico Madrid remain focused on the task at hand? Tell us @SportsWN
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: If Levante are to have any chance of sending shockwaves through the Spanish Liga, Keylor Navas will be required to produce a performance for the ages. The Costa Rican goalkeeper is among the league leaders in each category, including saves (128) and goals against average (1.12) this season.
Levante's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Navas; Vyntra, Juanfran, Navarro, Karabelas; Diop, Simao; Garcia, Victor, Lopez; Barral
Atletico Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Luis, Miranda, Godin, Manquillo; Turan, Gabi, Suarez, Koke; Garcia, Diego
Spanish League Table
|
Rnk |
Team |
MP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
+/- |
Pts |
|||
|
1 |
Atlético Madrid |
35 |
28 |
4 |
3 |
75 |
22 |
53 |
88 |
|||
|
2 |
FC Barcelona |
36 |
27 |
4 |
5 |
99 |
32 |
67 |
85 |
|||
|
3 |
Real Madrid |
34 |
26 |
4 |
4 |
98 |
32 |
66 |
82 |
|||
|
4 |
Athletic Club |
36 |
20 |
8 |
8 |
65 |
38 |
27 |
68 |
|||
|
5 |
Sevilla FC |
35 |
17 |
8 |
10 |
66 |
50 |
16 |
59 |
|||
|
6 |
Real Sociedad |
35 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
59 |
51 |
8 |
57 |
|||
|
7 |
Villarreal CF |
35 |
15 |
7 |
13 |
54 |
43 |
11 |
52 |
|||
|
8 |
Celta de Vigo |
36 |
13 |
7 |
16 |
46 |
52 |
-6 |
46 |
|||
|
9 |
Valencia CF |
35 |
12 |
9 |
14 |
47 |
48 |
-1 |
45 |
|||
|
10 |
Rayo Vallecano |
36 |
13 |
4 |
19 |
45 |
74 |
-29 |
43 |
|||
|
11 |
Levante UD |
35 |
10 |
12 |
13 |
31 |
42 |
-11 |
42 |
|||
|
12 |
RCD Espanyol |
36 |
11 |
8 |
17 |
39 |
47 |
-8 |
41 |
|||
|
13 |
Málaga CF |
36 |
11 |
8 |
17 |
37 |
45 |
-8 |
41 |
|||
|
14 |
Elche CF |
36 |
9 |
12 |
15 |
29 |
47 |
-18 |
39 |
|||
|
15 |
Granada CF |
35 |
11 |
4 |
20 |
30 |
53 |
-23 |
37 |
|||
|
16 |
Getafe CF |
36 |
9 |
9 |
18 |
32 |
53 |
-21 |
36 |
|||
|
17 |
Osasuna |
36 |
9 |
8 |
19 |
29 |
60 |
-31 |
35 |
|||
|
18 |
Real Valladolid |
35 |
7 |
14 |
14 |
34 |
54 |
-20 |
35 |
|||
|
19 |
UD Almería |
35 |
9 |
6 |
20 |
38 |
69 |
-31 |
33 |
|||
|
20 |
Real Betis |
35 |
5 |
7 |
23 |
29 |
70 |
-41 |
22 |
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