Atletico Madrid vs Valencia: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
A woefully out of form Atletico Madrid host a decidedly dogged Valencia side in La Liga on Saturday evening.
The reigning Spanish champions have won just two of their last eight matches across a raft of competitions, preparing for the weekend's fixture by bowing out of the Copa del Rey to Real Sociedad with a whimper.
Valencia, conversely, shared the spoils with second-placed Sevilla in midweek and have lost just twice since the end of October after a rocky start to life under Pepe Bordalas.
Here's all you need to know about the upcoming clash between teams at either end of the form table.
How to watch Atletico vs Valencia on TV/live stream
When is kick off? Saturday 22 January, 20:00 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? Wanda Metropolitano
TV channel/live stream? Premier Sports 1/LaLiga TV (UK), ESPN+ (US), TSN (Canada)
Highlights? La Liga YouTube
Referee? TBC
VAR? TBC
Atletico team news
Stefan Savic returned to training on Monday but wasn't deemed fit enough for action in the cup away to La Real in midweek. Antoine Griezmann, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Marcos Llorente are all doubts with muscle injuries, though the French forward is thought to be at a more advanced stage of his recovery.
Jose Maria Gimenez has served his umpteenth suspension of the season for a red card he received during Atleti's previous midweek fixture.
Valencia team news
An outbreak of COVID-19 appears to have tentatively subsided for Bordalas and his side as Helder Costa and Denis Cheryshev were part of the squad that earned a 1-1 draw against Sevilla on Wednesday. Maxi Gomez and Daniel Wass - who has been tipped for a move to Atletico - were notable by their omission.
The team's talismanic midfielder Carlos Soler hasn't made an appearance in 2022 as he continues to nurse a muscle injury. Former Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Paulista has suffered another setback in his own recovery and has moved to Madrid to focus on treating his hamstring tear.
The long-serving Jose Gaya will also miss out after picking up a red card in the dying embers of Valencia's last La Liga outing.
Atletico vs Valencia head-to-head record
Absolute scenes at the Mestalla earlier! ?
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) November 7, 2021
Hugo Dora scored 2 goals in stoppage time to rescue a point for Valencia v Atlético Madrid.?
Incredible drama! ? pic.twitter.com/o93kFyvPP6
Across their 163 top flight meetings Atletico Madrid and Valencia share a largely even record, winning 61 and 57 games respectively (D45). However, the capital side has dominated the rivalry in recent years.
Atletico are on a 14-game unbeaten run in La Liga against the division's ninth-placed side, last losing to a Valencia team managed by Nuno Espirito Santo in 2014 which had current Rojiblanco Rodrigo de Paul on the bench.
Valencia have never beaten Atletico in Madrid during Diego Simeone's decade-long reign as manager (last defeating Quique Sanchez Flores' side in February 2011).
Atletico vs Valencia score prediction
A chaotic 3-3 draw last November, in which Valencia's Hugo Duro scored twice in stoppage time, signalled the defensive decline Atletico have endured this term. Simeone's side have conceded twice as many goals (24) compared to their tally at the same stage last season.
However, for all their faults, Atletico's superior squad go into the match against mid-table Valencia as favourites, with Simeone's unbeaten record against Bordalas (W7 D2) on the line.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Valencia