Atletico Madrid will seek an immediate return to winning ways

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Atletico Madrid will seek an immediate return to winning ways in La Liga when they travel to winless Levante on Thursday night. Diego Simeone’s side came from 2-0 down to rescue a point against Real Sociedad last time out, while the hosts were on the wrong end of a 5-3 thriller with Sevilla.

A 5-3 drubbing from Sevilla at the weekend will have done little to ease the pressure on Levante boss Javier Pereira whose side have taken just five points from their opening ten La Liga (LL) matches. Still winless (D5, L5), the hosts sit second-bottom of the standings ahead of this midweek matchday as the threat of relegation begins to linger around Ciutat de València.

One positive to take from their early season woes is the fact that Levante at least remain difficult to beat on home soil (D3, L1), although only one of those draws came accompanied by a clean sheet. With their 18 goals conceded ahead of this matchday the worst tally in LL, it’s clear where improvements are needed.

A Luis Suárez inspired Atlético Madrid rescued a 2-2 draw against high-flying Real Sociedad on Sunday despite going two goals down early in the second half. That stalemate leaves the reigning LL champions fourth in the table but just three points off top-spot with a game in hand ahead of this matchday.

Losing just once in their opening nine LL matches (W5, D3), Atlético have now found the back of the net in ten of their last 12 league matches, netting exactly two goals on nine occasions. The visitors’ only loss this season did come in their last away LL match though, and whilst they haven’t kept an away clean sheet in four attempts, they’ll still be expecting to taste victory here against a side they’ve lost to just once in the past eight H2Hs (W5, D2).

Date: 28/10/2021
Time: 22:30
Venue: Estadi Ciutat de València (Valencia)
Pick for this match:
“2” – @ 1.70 ( Betway )