Saturday- Game of the Week - VALENCIA V ATLÉTICO MADRID

VALENCIA V ATLÉTICO (22:00 CET)

Definitely the highlight in this weekend’s calendar. 

VALENCIA

Valencia will be hoping for a Miracle. Can Banega be the rug that ties the room together?

Valencia are the new Jekyll and Hyde team of the Spanish scene. But mostly it’s been bad. Those who thought they were about to turn the corner with the victories over Bilbao & BATE were given a baño de realidad as the Spanish say when it all came crashing down again in last week’s abject surrender at Betis. 

They shouldn’t have been surprised. Post Unai Emery, Valencia are a ragged side. Their squad on paper and by all logic looks better this season, but the performances and results tell another tale.

Due credit has to be given for their 3-0 win at BATE in day three of the Champions League. It wasn’t just a stunning, dominant, clinical display. It was all of that and more against a side who had thumped French side Lille before taking Bayern Munich apart on the same ground. They made it look so easy. Despite all that’s gone wrong this season, this is what Valencia are capable of, and must only add to the the frustrations of their 'aflicción' that they’ve failed to show this side of their game this season.

The win that preceded it wasn’t against the abject Bilbao we’ve grown accustomed to this season. Despite being under the cosh, the Basques played like lions that night, defending for their lives and making trouble on the counter. Taking the lead twice and looking to dig in, Valencia were tepid for large stretches. The introduction of Ever Banega marked a changing point, and although on the front foot even with numbers even, it was only then that they started to turn the screw. They pummelled the visitors in the final quarter, but a heroic display for Iraizoz meant they had to wait until the death.

Atlético

Atlético need no introductions. And there are few new things we can say about the phenomenon that is Radamel Falcao García. But at times, the rest of the cast get overlooked and the story of Atleti under Cholo Simeone is that of a real team effort, a real tight unit, and fantastic management from the former midfielder.

They’ve won their last 8, and won them in a variety of ways. But what stand out are those tight victories, those games that looked to have been slipping away from them. Not even the sort of the games that they would have drawn in other years, but would in fact have lost. Two examples spring to mind- the win over a Valladolid side who had played superbly in week 5; The hard-fought and late win over Málaga on clásico weekend; Falcao’s last minute moment of magic to steal the show on a weekend where Depor and Barça served us up the game of the season a fortnight ago. And then a real team effort where Falcao’s goal was merely the gloss against Osasuna last week. Raúl García, scorer of a peach in that game, has been a revelation. 

Arda, Koke, Emre, Adrian; all play their part in supporting the totem. The midfield work hard, break intelligently, and the defence has, for the most part, been a rock.

Summary

And yet- despite the form book, this one is incredibly hard to call. Let’s not talk of the bad old Atleti, that unreliable Atleti. Few really believe they can be champions (though you can be sure that they do); but neither are they likely to come off the rails should they lose here.

But we have seen glimpses of the quality of this Valencia side, however fleetingly. And not just in that game in Minsk. With Banega getting closer to match fitness, it’s been clear to all what they’ve been missing. Gago went missing in the Bilbao game, but has been a promising addition for the most part in the midfield zone.

There are no surprise absentees for any team, so it’s just a question of who starts. Not for Atleti, because they’ve proven themselves a real squad, where all those called upon have done what’s been asked of them. More for the hosts. Will they move to a three man midfield of Banega, Gago and the man who excelled against Bilbao, their mainstay, Tino Costa? Will the disappointing summer recruit Andrés Guardado start again?

But all told, on form there’s only one team likely to win this. But I’m going to sit on the fence, because I think Valencia have a big performance in them later on today at Mestalla.