Is it the last days of Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid? It was rumoured around Christmas time that Simeone would leave Atletico at the end of the season due to poor results. However, since then, Atletico have reeled off three games without a defeat in La Liga.
Indeed, Atletico are on a two-game winning streak ahead of Getafe’s arrival at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday. Los Rojiblancos’ good form has them in fourth place and three points ahead of fifth-place Villarreal in the race for Champions League qualification.
🎙 ❝Hopefully this Saturday will be a great atmosphere, so we can all enjoy❞.— @AntoGriezmann, #JugadorCincoEstrellas of January in @futbolmahou 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0C8isIACJE— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 2, 2023
🎙 ❝Hopefully this Saturday will be a great atmosphere, so we can all enjoy❞.— @AntoGriezmann, #JugadorCincoEstrellas of January in @futbolmahou 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0C8isIACJE
Getafe wish they were battling for a top-four place. Los Azulones are instead battling for their La Liga survival. Getafe go into the weekend trip to the Wanda in 19th place and three points from safety.
Manager Quique Sanchez Flores arrived at Getafe (again) in October 2021. He kept them up last season but is struggling to do it again this term.
Getafe are on a four-game losing streak ahead of the trip to Atletico Madrid. Adding to Flores’ problems ahead of the weekend is the team’s poor away record.
Getafe are on a three-game road losing streak and have won just two of their nine away games this term.
Atletico, on the other hand, are improving at home. They are unbeaten in five of their last six home matches in the league. Fourteen of Atletico’s 34 points have come at home. While they play better on the road, results at home are improving for Simeone.
The capital club made several changes during the winter transfer window. Memphis Depay arrived from Barcelona while Joao Felix, Matheus Cunha, and Felipe all left the club.
Atletico needed to balance their books after years of spending heavily on transfer fees, wages and agents’ fees.
Simeone goes into the game with two players on the injury list. Midfielder Marcos Llorente will miss the game with a muscle injury. Defender Stefan Savic is again on the injury list. He is suffering from a muscle strain as well and won’t play.
Sanches Flores has just one player on the Getafe injury list. Fabricio Angileri is suffering from physical discomfort and may sit out the fixture.
Atletico are unbeaten in six straight games in all matches versus Getafe. Five of those games ended as wins. Atletico should post a sixth win in seven tries against Getafe, keeping a clean sheet in the process.
Los Rojiblancos went to Getafe and won 3-0 earlier this season. This time, Atletico could win by a 2-0 score. Atletico have won 12 straight home games versus Getafe.