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Atletico Madrid is poised to recover from their recent setback in the Champions League quarter-finals as they prepare to recommence their La Liga journey against Alaves on Sunday evening.
Diego Simeone's squad presently occupies the fourth position in the La Liga standings, holding a four-point advantage over Athletic Bilbao in fifth place. Meanwhile, Alaves finds themselves positioned in 14th place, maintaining a comfortable seven-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Following their promotion back to La Liga via the 2022-23 Segunda Division playoffs, this season was earmarked as a period of consolidation for Alaves. With this objective in mind, their campaign thus far has been deemed a triumph.
Undoubtedly, the Blue and Whites have amassed 32 points from 31 league fixtures this season, registering eight victories, eight draws, and 15 defeats. Presently occupying the 14th position in the league standings, they've navigated their season with relative success.
With seven games remaining, Luis Garcia Plaza's team is in a great position, seven points above the bottom three, but they are still in danger of going down.
Alaves has only been able to win one of their past nine league games; in contrast, they have lost three straight versus Athletic, Real Sociedad, and Granada, and four of their last five overall.
This season, El Glorioso has performed admirably in front of their home crowd, winning 21 points from 15 games, whereas Atletico has actually suffered seven losses while traveling in La Liga in 2023–2024.
Atletico positioned themselves advantageously for progression to the semi-finals of the Champions League, clinching a 2-1 triumph against Borussia Dortmund in the initial leg of their quarter-final clash in Madrid the prior week.
However, Simeone's squad encountered a setback in the second leg, succumbing to a 4-2 defeat against Dortmund on Tuesday night, ultimately bowing out with a 5-4 aggregate scoreline, thus exiting the European competition.
Now, Atletico must redirect their focus towards La Liga and the ongoing battle for a top-four finish, as the capital side finds themselves far from secure in clinching a Champions League berth for the 2024-25 season.
Presently occupying fourth place, Atletico hold a slender four-point lead over fifth-placed Athletic, setting the stage for a crucial showdown between the two sides on April 27th.
In their recent La Liga encounter against Girona, Atletico emerged victorious with a 3-1 scoreline, highlighting their prowess on home turf, where they've amassed an impressive 43 points from 16 matches, boasting the division's top record.
However, their away form paints a contrasting picture, ranking only seventh best, marred by seven losses in 15 matches. Moreover, having just concluded a demanding contest against Dortmund, fatigue could potentially pose a challenge as they prepare for their upcoming fixture.
Alaves are once again anticipated to face the absence of Adrian Rodriguez and Aleksandar Sedlar for the upcoming weekend's match, yet the Basque squad has no fresh fitness worries.
Manager Garcia is unlikely to enact extensive alterations from the lineup fielded in their previous clash against Granada, although Alex Sola and Abde Rebbach may find themselves introduced into the starting eleven.
Samu Omorodion, who has notched eight goals in the league this season, is on loan at Alaves from Atletico, but he remains eligible to take on his parent club in the forthcoming fixture.
Regarding Atletico, Memphis Depay, Marcos Paulo, and Thomas Lemar persist on the injury list, whereas Marcos Llorente is sidelined due to suspension following his booking against Girona in the previous encounter.
Pablo Barrios was prohibited from the team's last league outing, but he will be eligible for this particular contest, with anticipated alterations from the lineup that faced Dortmund.
Angel Correa, who found the net after being brought on as a substitute in Germany, may be considered for inclusion in the attacking third, alongside Samuel Lino and Barrios, who are both vying for a place in the starting lineup.
