1. Atlético Madrid vs Valencia match preview: Will Arthur Vermeeren make his first appearance?
2. Preview of Atlético Madrid – Valencia: Is it time for Arthur Vermeeren to debut?.
Atlético de Madrid Looks to Extend Home Unbeaten Streak Against Valencia
In an exciting clash on Sunday night, Atlético de Madrid will aim to extend its home unbeaten streak to 27 games as they face surprise European contenders Valencia at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano in the Spanish capital. Atlético Madrid, currently sitting at 41 points with a record of 13-2-5, hopes to build on the momentum of their recent Copa del Rey quarterfinal win by securing their third victory in four league games.
However, Valencia, with 32 points from a record of 9-5-7, has already proven their strength by defeating Atlético once this season. This victory broke an eight-year, 17-game winless streak against Los Colchoneros. Valencia will enter the match with confidence, aiming to secure back-to-back wins against Diego Simeone’s men for the first time since Simeone became Atleti’s head coach.
Rúben Baraja, Valencia’s second-year coach and a former Atlético midfielder, has led Los Che to a position just four points off sixth place. Simeone expressed his admiration for Valencia’s style of play, stating, “I love how Valencia play. They have young players following a very clear idea from their coach. Their 4-4-2 works very well, they know how to make it very flexible, very functional. It’s not a coincidence that they’re having the season they’re having.”
The match on Sunday will also mark the debut of Atlético’s new midfield signing, Arthur Vermeeren. The 18-year-old joined Atlético on Friday in an €18 million transfer from Royal Antwerp. Simeone expressed his approval of Vermeeren’s addition, highlighting his versatility in playing anywhere across the team’s three-man midfield or as part of a double pivot. Simeone emphasized the importance of working with Vermeeren to provide internal competition and help him grow and develop his potential.
This week in football has been marked by impending managerial changes. While Simeone extended his contract with Atlético until 2027 in November, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp confirmed on Friday that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season. Additionally, FC Barcelona legend Xavi surprised many by announcing his departure as the club’s manager on June 30.
Commenting on Klopp’s departure, Simeone praised the Liverpool manager’s achievements, stating, “Klopp is a great manager, he’s done great work at Liverpool, he put together a great team this season. The job is not easy, it’s hard. It seems easy to win and to keep winning, but it’s not. The job is stressful, it’s dizzying.”
Atlético de Madrid is entering a stressful stretch of games throughout February, participating in three separate competitions. With games scheduled every three-and-a-half days for the next four weeks, wise rotation of players will be crucial. Resting key players like Antoine Griezmann, who has played a significant number of minutes, will be essential for maintaining their competitive edge.
Simeone emphasized the team’s approach to squad selection, saying, “When we make the squad, we do it thinking about all the competitions we play in, and we will see in each game who is better bet to play. There are 13 games until the next international break, so (we continue to go) game by game. I don’t look beyond that, and even less so now.”
The confirmed matchday squad for Atlético de Madrid will be updated before the match.
Match Details
- Date: January 28, 2024
- Location: Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid
- Kickoff time: 9:00 p.m. CET, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT
- Available TV/streaming: ESPN+ (United States), DAZN LALIGA (Spain), Viaplay Sports 2 (United Kingdom)
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– Atlético Madrid – Valencia preview: Arthur Vermeeren debut expectations
– Preview of Atlético Madrid vs Valencia: Potential debut for Arthur Vermeeren.
