Friday, May 18th, 2012
Celtic vs. Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid comes into the game against Celtic looking to shrug off the derby day blues, and there would be no better way of doing that than with securing qualification in Glasgow to the next round of the Europa League.
A 4-1 victory for Real Madrid was harsh on Atleti, as after a bright performance they were subsequently reduced to 10 men, and had a penalty against them. It was strong punishment and with the disadvantage in personnel the game could never really flow competitively.
Now attentions turn to Celtic, and after beating Neil Lennon’s side at Celtic Park, Atleti will be confident of securing the aforementioned qualification from Group I. Gregorio Manzano’s team are tied at the top with Udinese, but a victory here will see them through to the round of 32.
Falcao’s return to the squad is the main news, after he drifted in and out of training over the last 10 days with injury. Club veteran Antonio Lopez is also fit and ready to go, but Portuguese duo Silvío and Tiago stay back in Madrid.
Celtic hammered St Mirren 5-0 at the weekend, taking them just four points off great rivals Rangers. They sit in third place meanwhile in Group I, and a win could really change the Europa League picture for them here.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Slovan Bratislava
Athletic will also look to sue the Europa League as a point of recovery just like Atleti, after the Basque outfit saw their incredible 11 game unbeaten run brought to an end with a shock defeat to Granada. All the more surprising, considering the defeat took place in their own back yard, San Mamés.
Granada shut down Athletic all across midfield and restricted the attacking verve of Marcelo Bielsa’s side. With the qualification already assured, many of those who featured will likely be rested. The likes of Toquero, David Lopez, Jonás Ramalho and Igor Gabilondo should be given extended run outs by the Argentinean coach.
It could serve as a good reference point for Bielsa too, as he assesses the full depth of the squad at his disposal, and he’ll be looking for the fringe players to grab the opportunity.
Slovan Bratislava are bottom of the group, and have just the solitary point against their name. They have little to play for here so could more than likely use the game just to frustrate Athletic. In their own domestic league, Slovan currently sit 2nd, and beat Ružomberok 2-0 in their latest outing.
Tags: Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Europa League, La Liga, Slovan Bratislava, SPL
