Atlético de Madrid — Dominant with Six Consecutive Wins in LaLiga
Atlético Madrid (8-1-1, 25 points) is set to face newly-promoted Las Palmas in an exciting Friday night match in the Canary Islands. This will be the first encounter between the two teams since January 2018. Historically, Atlético has defeated Las Palmas in their eight previous meetings. Las Palmas has recently entered the top-tier of Spanish football after a five-year spell in the second division.
Las Palmas has gained attention this season for their possession-based style of play. Under the guidance of head coach García Pimienta, who has a background at La Masia, Los Amarillos have showcased an impressive possession average of 58.5 percent, second only to FC Barcelona. They lead the league in touches in the defensive third of the field and are second only to Barça in total touches in the middle third.
Despite their strong possession stats, Las Palmas has only managed to score eight goals in eleven games, three of which were penalties.
Diego Simeone, Atlético’s head coach, acknowledged Las Palmas’ playing style in a press conference, stating that they are a brave and risky team that aims to dominate the game with a goalkeeper who plays an active role in dictating play.
Simeone added, “I like how they play. They will have the ball for a long time, and I hope we can exploit their style to cause damage.”