Two clubs in the top half of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Atletico Madrid and Espanyol. The first-division clash scheduled for 6 a.m. ET will be held at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid and can be live streamed here free.

Espanyol defender Diego Colotto had this to offer ahead of today's league encounter (via Inside Spanish Football): "They're still a really good team. They're amongst the best in La Liga, they're still following the same line as last season and they'll be just as competitive right to the end of the season. It will be a tough game, but we've already played against Sevilla and Valencia, who have also shown that they're doing well."

"They've changed quite a few players, one in each area of their side at the very least," he added. "They have different players in attack, so it's difficult to make comparisons with those they've replaced, but they still have strikers who are hungry for goals and I'm sure they'll get them sooner or later."

Tactical Preview

Player to Watch: One of the Atletico Madrid strikers looking to find his scoring boots is Mario Mandzukic. The 28-year-old has just two goals in 389 league minutes and is averaging less than one key pass per match (0.8). To challenge the defensive prowess Diego Colotto, Mandzukic must correct his form at home on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Moya; Ansaldi, Godin, Miranda, Gamez; Gabi, Tiago; Koke, Garcia, Turan; Mandzukic

Espanyol's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Casilla; Lopez, Colotto, Gonzalez, Fuentes; Alvarez, Sanchez, Canas, Vazquez; Caicedo, Stuani

Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).

Standings

RnkTeamMPWDLGFGA+/-Pts
1FC Barcelona87102202222
2Real Madrid CF86023092118
3Valencia CF75201741317
4Sevilla FC7511138516
5Atlético Madrid7421127514
6Celta de Vigo83411311213
7Málaga CF833278-112
8Villarreal CF7322107311
9Rayo Vallecano83231112-111
10RCD Espanyol72329819
11UD Almería72327709
12Eibar8233810-29
13Granada CF8224512-78
14Getafe CF7214411-77
15Real Sociedad7124811-35
16Athletic Club8125512-75
17Elche CF7124716-95
18Levante UD8125420-165
19Córdoba CF8044513-84
20Deportivo La Coruña7115819-114