Two of Spain’s five Champions League representatives go head-to-head on Sunday in one of the matches of the Liga weekend, and if recent history is anything to go by then we could be in for a fiery affair.

That’s because each of the last four meetings between Atletico Madrid and Valencia has featured a red card, something that might well be on the minds of both sets of players as they enter a match that could be seen as important to their top-four hopes.

It is Atletico who go into it better placed in the table, with their four-point advantage over their weekend visitors at least giving them a cushion if things go wrong, but that’s not what Diego Simeone will be thinking.

Win, and Atletico will be hot on the heels of the three clubs above them, with the meeting of Celta Vigo and Real Madrid on Saturday ensuring that at least one of them has to drop points.

Date: Sunday, October 25

Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT / 2:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid

Last 6 Results

Atletico Madrid

Won 2-0 vs. Getafe

Lost 1-0 vs. Villarreal

Lost 2-1 vs. Benfica

Drew 1-1 vs. Real Madrid

Won 2-0 vs. Real Sociedad

Won 4-0 vs. Astana

Lost 1-0 vs. Espanyol

Won 1-0 vs. Granada

Won 1-0 vs. Lyon

Lost 3-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao

Won 3-0 vs. Malaga

Won 2-1 vs. Gent

Atletico Madrid

The Champions League victory over Astana in midweek might have been where it all starts to come together for Jackson Martinez in Madrid.

He scored the second of Atletico’s four goals and was praised by fellow goalscorer Oliver Torres in Sport, so it would surely be wise for Diego Simeone to leave the Colombian in his team as he tries to build the confidence we often saw at previous club Porto.

The fact that the Atletico boss substituted Martinez and Antoine Griezmann with the game won against Astana suggests that he had this fixture in mind, and with Luciano Vietto still out injured he could opt to field the same starting XI, although he is more than likely to restore Jose Gimenez, Filipe Luis and Koke to the team.

Possible lineup: Oblak, Juanfran, Gimenez, Godin, Luis, Oliver Torres, Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Griezmann, Martinez.

Opponents Valencia were made to work a little harder for their Champions League victory in midweek, with the 2-1 win over determined Belgian side Gent featuring eight bookings and a late own goal winner from Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic.

Coach Nuno Santo would have been relieved to get the three points on the board, but with some high-profile players still missing he’ll be relying on a similar lineup at the Vicente Calderon.

Rodrigo will be pushing for a start after replacing Dani Parejo in midweek, but Nuno is likely to opt for conservatism over flair as he seeks to bolster the midfield.

Possible lineup: Domenech, Cancelo, Mustafi, Aderlan Santos, Gaya, Javi Fuego, Parejo, Andre Gomes, Feghouli, Santi Mina, Alcacer.

Key Players

Atletico Madrid: Jackson Martinez

If the Astana performance and goal really was a turning point for Jackson Martinez then Valencia are going to have to be extremely wary of the Colombian here, as on his day there are few better pure strikers around in world football.

Having seemingly dislodged Fernando Torres from the team—for now at least—Martinez will be desperate to take another opportunity and impress from the start, while also seeking to improve on a disappointing return of just one La Liga goal this season.

Valencia: Paco Alcacer

The visitors might find that chances are hard to come by against a team who’ve only conceded to Barcelona and Real Madrid at home in the league this season, and so Paco Alcacer is going to have to be sharp and take any opportunities that come his way.

The 22-year-old has made himself an important player for the Spanish national team thanks to six goals in 10 appearances for La Roja, and his club side could do with a little of that stardust on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid—7/5

Valencia—4/1

Draw—12/5 

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