Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid are still seeking their first La Liga victory this season. In four games they’ve drawn two and lost two and they face the daunting task of traveling to Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium on Saturday as they attempt to get it right at the fifth
attempt.
Over the last couple of weeks my ‘game of the week’ style articles have focused heavily on English football, being English this is understandable but I will certainly be checking out La Liga action on Saturday night. You could argue that the talent now resides in Spain and not England. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi could all stake a claim for the best player in the world and Spanish football is perhaps a more skillful, if slightly slower, brand than the English game.
Atletico and Valencia are blessed with some outstanding footballers. Diego Forland, Simao and Sergio Agureo all ply their trade in Madrid and are all outstanding players. Argentine Aguero in particular is an exciting young talent and I’m sure he will enjoy a very successful career. Valencia are a club in turmoil with massive debts to pay on their new Mestalla stadium but they resisted bids for their top stars over the summer transfer period and kept the big
names. Los Che’s star man is without a doubt David Villa, the Spaniard, who is perhaps the best striker in the world, was the subject of huge bids by Real Madrid and Barcelona but Valencia managed to hang on to him. In midfield Valencia still have a wealth of talent with Joaquin and David Silva just two of the big names vying for places in the starting eleven.
I touched earlier on the fact Atletico had endured a difficult start to the season. They had high hopes before the season kicked off and some had even suggested they had a decent chance of taking the title. However, four games without a win and a very disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw against Cypriot outfit Apoel Nicosia I doubt many are betting on Ateletico success this season. Understandably manager Abel
Resino is under pressure at the moment but he claims not to be worried and feels one win will turn things around.
He said: “I’m going to do all that I can to turn the current situation around. I’m not worried about, nor am I thinking about, my future. I’ll continue to search for solutions for the team.
“The tension being felt by the team is produced by a lack of confidence. We won’t get it back until we win again.
“The squad need to stick together. One match can resolve the problems.”
Valencia are understandably heavy favourites with the La Liga betting odds but Atletico have a squad capable of getting a result anywhere. The Madrid side need to get back to winning ways soon though or Rosino may well be out of a job.
Great thanks