Round 26 of the 2022-23 Spanish La Liga season goes on with four matches on Saturday’s slate, so we bring you the best Atletico Madrid vs. Valencia betting pick and odds along with the latest team news and stats.
Atletico Madrid – Valencia Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (18.3.2023)
Atletico Madrid continue to fight for Champions League qualification, whereas Valencia desperately need points to stay away from the relegation zone, so Saturday’s clash at Metropolitano Stadium has a lot on the table for either side.
Atletico Madrid vs. Valencia: Initial Situation
Atletico Madrid hold the third spot in La Liga. The Indians have earned 48 points (W14, D6, L5) and a 39:19 goal difference out of the previous 25 rounds. They are six points ahead of fifth-placed Betis. On the other side, Valencia are 17th with 26 points (W7, D5, L13) and a 28:28 goal difference. The Bats are out of the drop zone thanks to having a better goal difference than Getafe, who sit at the 18th spot in La Liga.
Atletico Madrid Stats & Form
The Indians have played in a rich vein of form lately, winning five of their previous seven league games. They are undefeated in 11 straight outings in all competitions and will look for their third straight victory when they welcome Valencia. Atletico Madrid have also won two home matches in a row, outlasting Athletic Bilbao 1-0 and Sevilla 6-1 in the process.
Last Monday, the Indians defeated Girona 1-0 on the road, and Alvaro Morata scored the winner in the injury time of the second half. It was his 12th goal of the season, and the veteran striker is Atletico Madrid’s leading scorer in 2022-23. Antoine Griezmann has nine goals and 11 assists on his season tally, while Angel Correa has bagged six goals thus far.
Valencia Stats & Form
Since Ruben Baraja took the helm on February 14, Valencia have registered a couple of wins and losses in La Liga. All four matches finished with just one goal on the scoreboard, as the Bats defeated Real Sociedad and Osasuna at home while losing to Getafe and Barcelona on the road. Valencia are riding a five-game losing streak away from home, failing to score a single goal in that stretch.
Edinson Cavani is Valencia’s leading scorer with seven goals in all competitions this season, but the 36-year-old striker has missed the previous three matches due to an injury. He’s questionable to play against Atletico Madrid. Justin Kluivert has accounted for six goals and a couple of assists so far this season, while Hugo Guillamon and Andre Almeida have posted four dishes apiece.
Atletico Madrid – Valencia: Head-to-Head
Valencia are winless in 16 consecutive meetings with Atletico Madrid. During that stretch, Atletico Madrid have recorded ten wins over the Bats. In their first meeting of the season, Atletico Madrid outlasted Valencia 1-0 as 1.95 road favorites.
Atletico Madrid – Valencia Odds
The bookmakers are expecting Atletico Madrid to extend their dominance over Valencia. They are looking for a low-scoring affair, so Over 2.5 Goals pays 2.20 at bet365 Sportsbook. Also, Both Teams to Score YES sits at 2.25 on Unibet Sportsbook.
Valencia will take a defensive approach at Metropolitano Stadium. On the other side, Atletico Madrid won’t rush things, as Diego Simeone is well-known for his patient, cautious approach, so I’m going with Under 2.5 Goals at Unibet. Whoever takes a lead will start defending in numbers, and I would be surprised by three or more goals in total. Just one of Valencia’s last eight matches overall and one of Atletico Madrid’s previous seven has seen more than a couple of goals on the scoreboard.
Betting tip and prediction: Atletico Madrid – Valencia (18.3.2023)