Atletico Madrid face Deportivo La Coruna this Saturday, October 24th, at 21:00 at the Metropolitano Stadium in matchday ten of La Liga. The red-and-whites arrive in excellent form, having won their last five matches across all competitions, while the Galician side are on a run of five games without a win.
Diego Simeone's team sits second in the table with 22 points, five behind leaders Barcelona. Their record from nine games reads seven wins, one draw and a single defeat, scoring 19 goals and conceding just eight. This strong start positions them as clear title contenders. Alex Baena is their top scorer with five goals in nine appearances.
In contrast, Deportivo La Coruna are ninth with 11 points, from three wins, two draws and four losses. Their last league victory dates back to September, and their last five outings have yielded three draws and two defeats. Rubén de la Barrera's team will try to halt their poor run at the daunting venue of the Metropolitano.
Recent form
Atletico Madrid are coming off a 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart in their last Champions League outing, with a goal from Julián Álvarez. Prior to that, they secured an important 0-1 away win at Espanyol thanks to a Baena strike in the 89th minute. The winning streak also includes victories over Manchester United (2-0) and, most notably, the 2-1 derby win against Real Madrid.
Deportivo, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Levante in their last match. They previously lost 2-3 to Real Sociedad and 1-3 to Porto in European competition. Their last positive result against a top side was a 1-1 draw with Betis in late September.
Atletico's starting lineup against Stuttgart featured Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Grimaldo; G. Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand; Baena, J. David and Álvarez. The team is likely to field a similar block, with the question of whether Álvaro Morata, who came off the bench in that game, could feature more prominently.
The match presents a clear opportunity for Atletico to add another three points and maintain pressure on Barcelona at the top of the standings. With the Metropolitano as a fortress, where they have already beaten Manchester United and Real Madrid this season, the red-and-whites are strong favourites. The game will conclude a busy week before the upcoming international break.
