Competition: La Liga

Market: Atletico Madrid win

Odds: 19/20 @ Pribet

Desperate to claim an immediate domestic boost this weekend, Atletico Madrid will travel to the Mendizorroza when they meet Alaves on Sunday evening.

Starting with the hosts, while Alaves might be sat firmly in pole position to extend on their La Liga status this season, Luis Plaza’s men are enduring a real wobble. Last seen putting in another toothless display as they slumped to a 2-0 loss away at Granada, El Glorioso have the feel of a squad seeking an essential boost. Heading into March’s international break with a 2-0 loss at the hands of Athletic Bilbao, the Blues have lost all of their previous three La Liga appearances by an aggregate score of 5-0. Likewise, losing four of their previous five top-flight showdowns, Alaves will certainly be bracing themselves for another stern examination this weekend. Mustering just a single win from any of their previous nine outings – a rut that stems back to January 26th – Sunday’s hosts have also gained a real reputation for their glaring struggles in the final third. Along with drawing three blanks on the bounce, Alaves have also scored just a single strike in almost 500 minuets of action.

As for the visitors, suffering Champions League heartbreak earlier in the week as they fell to an action-packed 5-4 aggregate defeat against Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid will be desperate to claim an immediate response here. However, still leading the chase to claim a crucial top-four finish this season, Diego Simeone’s men have collected back-to-back La Liga victories and they should be smelling a real opportunity here. Last seen in top-flight action storming their way to a 3-1 romp against Girona, Sunday’s guests have won three of their previous four appearances across all competitions. Likewise, landing a 2-1 win when they welcomed Alaves to the capital for their reverse La Liga showdown on October 29th, they will be excited by a rampant record against El Glorioso. In fact, Atletico have collected 15 points from their previous six top-flight meetings. While Simeone’s men might have collected just a single victory outside of the Spanish capital since the end of January, we are predicting a crucial away win this weekend.

Bet: Atletico Madrid 19/20 to beat Alaves in Sunday’s La Liga battle @ Pribet