Elche vs Atletico Madrid Prediction, Odds & Picks

• Atletico Madrid are still leading the title race despite a significant slump in form
• Elche are battling against relegation and the battle could go to the wire
• Atletico should emerge victorious on Saturday but it could be a tight game

Elche vs Atletico Madrid Odds

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Elche vs Atletico Madrid Predictions and Pick

This is likely to be a low-scoring match, and Atletico should come edge it despite their dip in form in recent weeks.

Back Atletico Madrid to win to nil (+107)

How to Watch Elche vs Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid are somehow still La Liga leaders. A Barcelona victory over Granada on Thursday would have moved Ronald Koeman’s side to the top of La Liga with five games left to play. But Barcelona lost 2-1 at home, leaving Atletico at the summit of the standings.

Atletico’s fate is still in their own hands, with a trip to Barcelona to come next weekend. First, they must pick up maximum points against Elche. Back Diego Simeone’s side to do exactly that while also keeping a clean sheet at the Estadio Martinez Valero.

Atletico Will Only Have Themselves to Blame If They Miss Out

When Atletico Madrid beat Elche 3-1 in December, it kick-started a run of eight consecutive victories for Diego Simeone’s side. It is true that most of their opponents during that sequence are in the bottom half of the table as things stand, but that does not automatically mean that the Colchoneros were going to win. Atletico were confronted with a variety of different challenges, and they passed each one with flying colors. After the eighth of those wins, a 4-2 triumph over Cadiz on January 31, Atletico moved a whopping 10 points clear at the top of the table.

That lead has since been whittled down to two. Atletico have been teetering for weeks, and Barcelona really should have knocked them out of pole position in midweek. Simeone’s side will only have themselves to blame if they do not win the championship this year.

Atletico won 18 of their first 21 La Liga fixtures this term. It was always going to be difficult to maintain that pace, but a 10-point advantage at the top should have been enough for the club to win its first title since 2014. It still might, of course, and Atletico will end the weekend on top if they beat Elche, but they have allowed Barcelona and Real Madrid back in the race.

Atletico have dropped points in eight of their last 14 encounters. A draw with Real Madrid and defeat by Sevilla are results that can happen, but Simeone’s side also failed to beat Getafe, Levante, and Celta Vigo. They might still be top going into the weekend, but it is difficult to see Atletico winning all of their remaining matches given their recent form. Even a third-place finish is not out of the question, provided Real Madrid get their act together.

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Elche Have Heads Above Water in Relegation Race… Just

Like Atletico’s title tilt, Elche’s battle against the drop could go right down to the wire. Fran Escriba’s men have their heads above water at the time of writing, with a one-point lead over Real Valladolid and a three-point advantage over Huesca, but the gap keeping them outside the bottom three is too close for comfort.

This has not come as a surprise. Elche were anticipating a season of struggle after promotion via the play-offs last time out, and no one at the club was getting carried away after they rose as high as 11th in late October. That came on the back of Elche taking 10 points from the previous 12 available, but it has been a largely disappointing tale since then: they have won only three of their last 28 top-flight matches, and only recently climbed out of the relegation zone.

Still, there have been some signs of improvement since Escriba replaced Jorge Almiron in the dugout two and a half months ago. Elche have only occasionally been outclassed during his tenure, and many of their losses this season have been by a slender one-goal margin. Their squad does not contain as much quality as most of their La Liga rivals, but Elche have already shown that they will not go down without a fight.

Atletico Should Get Back on Track but It Might Not Be Enough

Atletico thrashed Eibar 5-0 a couple of weeks ago, but there have been few such scorelines for the Colchoneros this term. Although Simeone has attempted to evolve his team this season, Atletico’s strength remains their defensive strength, much as it was when they last won the title in 2014. No team has conceded fewer than their 22 goals, and while Atletico do have the second-best attacking record in the division, they are likely to revert to type now that the finish line is in sight.

Elche, meanwhile, have struggled for goals for much of the campaign. Only Eibar, Cadiz, Getafe, and Alavs have found the back of the net less often. Elche have failed to score in 10 of their 33 games to date and their top scorer, Lucas Boye, has notched just six goals all season.

Simeone knows that defeat here would be catastrophic for his team’s title chances, particularly after their 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao last time out. The Argentine will instruct his players to go back to basics, and we could see Atletico shut up shop if they take the lead in Saturday’s contest. Back the Colchoneros to win this game with a shut-out.