Atleti and Levante both desperate for win to keep slim hopes alive
Simeone's men head to the Ciutat de València with Julián Álvarez struggling for form, while relegation-threatened Levante aim to close the gap to safety.
Both sides enter tonight’s clash with their backs against the wall, desperately needing three points to keep fading dreams alive.
Desperate times
Levante and Atlético Madrid find themselves at a critical juncture in their respective campaigns. The hosts are battling to escape the relegation zone, currently sitting five points adrift of safety, while Atleti’s title hopes hang by a thread as they trail Barcelona by eight points and Real Madrid by seven.
For both sides, anything less than victory tonight would be a serious blow to their ambitions. What once seemed impossible - survival for Levante and a title for Atlético - remains mathematically possible, but the margin for error is razor-thin.
Rotation on the cards
Simeone looks set to shuffle his pack with cup commitments looming. The Rojiblancos face Real Betis after this fixture before taking on Bodø/Glimt in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday, forcing El Cholo to manage his squad carefully.
Giuliano misses out through illness after already sitting out the difficult European night against the Norwegian side. Marcos Llorente’s absence means Baena, Nico Williams and Almada are the likely candidates to complete a midfield where Barrios remains untouchable, with Koke and Cardoso rotating in the pivot role.
Álvarez’s drought
The spotlight remains firmly on Julián Álvarez, who’s enduring a torrid time in front of goal. The Argentine has gone nine consecutive matches without finding the net - a far cry from the player who banged in 29 goals last season.
The forward is expected to start on the bench as part of Simeone’s rotation policy, despite Atlético’s limited attacking options following Griezmann’s injury. Alexander Sorloth’s fine form (five goals in seven matches in 2026) has been a saving grace, but Atleti desperately need “La Araña” to rediscover his scoring touch if they’re to mount a serious challenge across all competitions.
Levante’s injury woes
The home side remain second-bottom with 17 points, though they do have a game in hand on their relegation rivals. Manager Luís Castro faces selection headaches with Roger Brugué, Víctor García, Diego Pampín and Unai Elgezabal all unavailable.
There is some positive news for the Granota faithful with Kareem Tundé returning to the squad after recovering from a virus that kept him out of last weekend’s match against Elche.