Atletico Madrid's season was in danger of falling apart before the international break and they desperately need to bounce back with a win when their La Liga title push resumes at Espanyol.
Just a few weeks ago, Diego Simeone's men were chasing glory in both La Liga and the Champions League. But their European dream died with a controversial shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid and Atletico now find themselves four points behind leaders Barcelona, having played a game more.
They lost 4-2 to Barca at home just before the international break, making it two league defeats in a row after being shocked on the road by Getafe. That has seen their title odds drift to 14/1 and any more slip ups will be fatal.
Simeone will be desperate to roar back in Catalonia but Espanyol are unbeaten in their last eight at home, a run that includes a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid.
Despite that strong home form, Espanyol still find themselves in the thick of a relegation battle as they sit just one point clear of the drop zone.
So boss Manolo Gonzalez will be equally desperate for all three points in a game that means so much at both ends of the table.
How the bookies view it: Espanyol overpriced at 11/2
With Espanyol so strong at home in recent months, I'm surprised to see them as big as 11/2 with BoyleSports for this one. Atletico Madrid are 8/15 hot favourites while the draw pays 11/4.
Recent head to head: Daggers drawn
Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Espanyol but four of those games have ended level, including stalemates in the last three. It ended in a 3-3 thriller when Simeone's side last visited the Stage Front Stadium.
Players to watch: Griez is the word
Atletico Madrid had players off in all corners of the globe during the international break but Antonie Griezmann got a breather as he has retired from duty with the French. The forward should be fresh and he's 21/10 at Bet365 for anytime scorer.
Roberto Fernandez has been leading the line for Espanyol of late and has five goals to his name this season. He's 11/2 for anytime scorer at Bet365 and that looks a bit overpriced for a striker.
Probable line-ups
It will be interesting to see if Simeone starts his South American stars, with the likes of Julian Alvarez and Rodrigo De Paul part of the Argentina squad that faced Brazil in a draining midweek World Cup qualifier on the other side of the globe. Koke is a doubt while Angel Correa is suspended.
Espanyol keeper Fernando Pacheco is a doubt while Alvaro Tejero, Jose Gragera and Jose Luis Catala are set to miss out again,
Espanyol: J Garcia, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero, El Hilali, Puado, Exposito, Carreras, Gonzalez, Kral, Fernandez.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Llorente, Lenglet, Reinildo, Le Normand, Gallagher, Barrios, Lino , Simeone, Griezmann, Sorloth.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bigger teams often struggle a bit in the first game after an international break, with fatigue a factor for some of the players racking up the air miles. With Atletico Madrid also in poor form and Espanyol strong at home, backing the home side in the double chance looks good value here at 11/8 with BoyleSports.
This should be a tight game, with the last three meetings ending in draws, so the half-time bet is another good option at 21/20, while backing most goals to come after the break pays the same.
We saw 12 corners when these sides drew 0-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano earlier in the season so the 11/10 on offer at BoyleSports for over 9.5 flag kicks also looks decent.
This La Liga match between Espanyol and Atletico Madrid will be played on and kick off at 15:15. Check below for our tipsters best Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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