La Liga: Just in the St. Nick of Time

Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla

The Matchday 4 contest between Atletico Madrid and Sevilla was postponed due to inclement weather in Madrid. Heavy rain and wind caused the match to be delayed for more than a few hours before deciding to reschedule the highly anticipated La Liga tie.

The match was supposed to transpire in September, but fans had to wait for a few months for these iconic clubs to share the same field once again. A lot has happened since September, but the ferocity and hunger on both sides have remained the same.

SBOTOP football fans are finally primed for an Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla bout that is sure to be filled with La Liga 2023 highlights, and both sides will surely be delighted to face their rivals right before Christmas eve.

Talking Points

Atletico crumble against Getafe

Atletico were poised to avenge their humbling 0-2 clean sheet defeat against Bilbao when they were up two goals to Getafe in the second half. Or so we thought.

An early red card for Stefan Savic in minute 38 really hurt Atletico. But Simeone’s side still found themselves up 3-1 halfway through the second half, and it seemed like Atletico would cruise through the rest of the match and bounce back from their loss against Bilbao on Matchday 17.

Alvaro Morata produced a goal, while Antione Griezmann scored a brace to put Atletico in a comfortable lead in the second half. But Getafe showed spirit until the last whistle was blown, and their perpetual relentlessness paid off in the end.

Borja Mayoral started things off for Getafe by scoring a goal in minute 32 to put his side on the scoreboard. This was all Getafe needed to mount a comeback, as they continued the game with an offencive onslaught on a handicapped Atletico Madrid.

Oscar Rodriguez got one in minute 87 to double Getafe’s goals. At this point, it’s safe to say that Atletico would hold on to their lead given that there’s only a few minutes left in the second half, but an unfortunate Nahuel Molina accidentally deflected a cross with his hand, forcing a penalty in favour of the visiting team.

Borja Mayoral stepped in to take the penalty, and he delivered a thumping strike that went past Oblak and went straight to the hearts of a stunned crowd in Madrid.

With this loss, Atletico Madrid are now tied with Bilbao in the La Liga standings with 35 points, while Simeone’s outfit is clinging on to a one-GD lead.

Sevilla showed up against Granada

Sevilla, with their backs against the wall, keep treading above the bottom three in the standings. With just 13 points prior to their Matchday 18 bout against Granada, the Europa League giants Sevilla were on thin ice and were early candidates for relegation.

Pedrosa, Ocampos, and Spanish legend Serio Ramos took turns scoring goals for their side, halting Granada’s already lackluster defence.

With this win, Quique and his boys propelled themselves to the 14th spot on the league table, and they aim to extend their lead over the bottom-of-the-barrel teams in the top flight.

But that won’t be a cakewalk given that they’ll need to go up against Griezmann and the rest of Atletico Madrid, who remain one of the top clubs in the entire continent despite their recent lulls.

History

The last time these clubs met was in a club friendly right before the last quarter of the year. That competition ended in a 1-1 draw, where both goals were scored in the second half. It looked like Sevilla would come out as the victors after Rafa Mir scored in minute 66, but Angel Correa was able to answer and score the equaliser during the dying minutes of the match.

In recent form in La Liga, Sevilla had lost three of their last five matches, which included clean-sheet defeats against Sevilla (0-3) and Mallorca (1-0). They quickly bounced back and crushed Granada in front of their home fans with a 0-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid hang on to the third spot in the La Liga standings despite losing two of their last five matches and tallying a 3-3 draw against Getafe. A minor hiccup, to say the least, and there’s no need to sound the alarm at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium. Simeone’s team can and should take advantage of going against a struggling Sevilla in front of their Madrid fans.

Betting Tip

Despite having a stagnant stretch in the Spanish top flight, Atletico are still the heavy favourites in the La Liga 2023 odds to win in this postponed Matchday 4 contest. Simeone’s lads are priced at 1.45, while the visiting Sevilla are the underdogs at 5.80 and 4.12 to tally a draw.

SBOTOP once again hit the nail on the head with their prices. Even though Atletico failed to get the job done against Getafe in their Matchday 18 showdown, they’re still one of the best clubs in the Spanish top flight and are right there with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and, of course, Girona.

Priced at 1.45, I would personally consider this line as it holds enough value for me to pique my interest. But there are more lines that hold more value than Atletico’s 1X2 and a perfect example is the even line for the total goals for the match.

Goals over 2.75 is neatly priced at 1.90. And given that these clubs’ offences have been in form in recent matches, scoring over 2.75 goals won’t be a lofty ask for these outfits.

 

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