Sunday 026 La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs Betis, the ultimate UEFA Champions League qualification battle under the game of injury wave and physical fitness

At 3:00 am on May 19, the focus match of the 37th round of La Liga started at the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium, with Atletico Madrid facing Real Betis at home. This game is not only a direct dialogue between traditional giants, but also tests the two teams' ability to adapt to injuries and physical fitness limits. The following is an in-depth analysis from the dimensions of official injury, tactical game, historical confrontation, etc. All information is based on the official La Liga website and team announcements to ensure that it is authentic and verifiable.

1. Scoreboard situation: Atletico Madrid firmly ranks in the Champions League zone, and Betis strives for European competition qualifications

Atletico Madrid currently ranks third in the league with 24 wins, 10 draws, 4 losses, and 75 points. It has locked in the Champions League qualification in advance, but the ranking still needs to consolidate its ranking to strive for a more favorable Champions League group. The team has achieved 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in the last 6 league games, scored 7 goals and conceded 3 goals, and performed steadily on the defensive end, completing 6 clean sheets in the last 10 league games. The offensive end relies on the "one high and one fast" combination of Thorot (14 goals and 6 assists) and Alvarez (12 goals and 5 assists). The two have contributed 5 goals in their last five games, accounting for 71% of the team's total goals.

Real Betis ranked 6th with 16 wins, 9 draws, 11 losses, 57 points, 3 points behind the European War Zone, and the competition for European War qualifications has entered a fierce competition. The team has achieved 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in the last 6 league games, scoring 9 goals and conceding 6 goals. The offensive end relies on the combination of "speed + fulcrum" between Luca (11 goals, 1 assist) and William José (9 goals, 3 assists), but the two have declined significantly in recent years. Luca has only scored 1 goal in his last 3 games, and William José has not scored in five consecutive games. On the defensive end, the right side was completely paralyzed due to the season reimbursement of Bellerin (serious hamstring injury) and Llorente (serious hamstring injury) and substitute right back Bartra (average 1.2 clearances per game) lacked experience and may become a breakthrough for Atletico Madrid's strong attack on the wing.

2. Core injuries and suspension impacts

Atletico Madrid: All members are healthy but their state fluctuates

According to the official La Liga injury report and team announcement, Atletico Madrid currently has no new injuries, and all members are healthy and can play. The only thing to pay attention to is the forward running-in problem between forward Alvarez (solemn in form after his comeback) and Thrott (5 goals in the last 4 games), but Simeone has focused on practicing the two's "one high and one fast" linkage tactics in training. In addition, goalkeeper Oblak (78% save success rate)'s recovery in form is the key to the defensive end, but the right-hand side concedes 42%, so beware of Betis' counterattack on the wing.

Real Betis: The right defense collapsed, the midfield rotation was tight

Betis suffered multiple blows:

The right defense system was paralyzed: Bellerin (serious hamstring injury) and Lorente (serious hamstring injury) were reimbursed for the season. The two contributed a total of 3 goals and 5 assists this season, and the right offense and defense system collapsed directly due to lack of the game. Substitute right-back Bartra (1.2 clearances per game) and Natan have insufficient tacit understanding of assisting defense and may be targeted by Atletico Madrid.

Midfield interception ability decreased: Roca (foot injury) and Artimilla (knee injury) were absent, resulting in a 20% decrease in the number of midfield interceptions compared with the season average, making it difficult to effectively cut off Atletico Madrid's midfield transmission.

Fitness overdraft and strategic rotation: midfielder core Isco (7 goals and 7 assists) and Cardozo (Fitness overdraft after the European Union semi-finals) may be absent due to strategic rotation, further weakening offensive creativity. The absence of goalkeeper Witt (with a left leg soleus injury) may affect the stability of the defense, but substitute goalkeeper Rui Silva has only 33% of the zero-shot percentage this season.

3. Recent status comparison

Atletico Madrid: strong at home but offensive efficiency needs to be improved

Atletico Madrid has a winning rate of 50% in the last 6 league games, and its home performance is particularly outstanding. This season, he has achieved 11 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses in 18 home games, with a winning rate of 61.1%, and averaging 1.83 goals per game. The team adopts a three-center-back system to consolidate the defense line, and the average goal conceded in the last five league games has dropped to 0.8, a 20% decrease from the season average. The offensive end relies on Thorot's fulcrum role (2.4 aerial confrontations per game) and Alvarez's speed advantage (30.1km/h). The two have scored 9 goals in a combined season through counterattacks, accounting for 41% of the total goals.

Real Betis: The away game is weak and hard to break the curse. The defensive counterattack is expected to survive

Betis has only achieved 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses in his last 6 away games, scoring 5 goals and conceding 7 goals. The offensive end relies on Luca's counterattack speed (30.2km/h), but he has not scored in his last 5 games, and his shot conversion rate has dropped to 8.7%. The team adopts a 4-4-2 formation, with wingers Zemula (1.5 key passes per game) and Ebos (1.2 steals per game) active on both ends of the offense and defense, but the defense was forced to use Christensen as a guest center back due to injury, and his turnovers this season have resulted in three goals conceded. Settings are double-edged swords, with four of the team's 12 goals this season from set pieces, but the opponent scored seven goals through set pieces on the defensive end.

4. Tactical style analysis

Atletico Madrid: The three central defenders system strengthens defense, and seeks change from crosses on the wing

Atletico Madrid focuses on 3-4-2-1 formation this season, emphasizing the rapid conversion of defensive counterattacks: The high-point combination of

wingback Savic (68% header success rate) and Lenor Mann (1.92 meters tall) is the core of set-piece offense. The two have scored 6 goals in total through set-pieces this season, accounting for 27% of the team's total goals.

Serote's fulcrum role (2.1 aerial confrontation per game) and Alvarez's speed advantage (30.1km/h) are the core of the counterattack. The two scored 8 goals in a total of 38% of the total goals this season.

The offense and defense of set balls are double-edged swords. Six of the team's 15 goals this season came from set balls, but the opponent scored 8 goals through set balls on the defensive end. The success rate of central defender Kavajal's header was only 58%.

Real Betis: Remaining fast attacks seek change, crosses from the wings need to break the deadlock

Betis focuses on a 4-4-2 formation this season, but injuries force Pellegrini to use the three-center-back system:

Luca (30.2km/h)'s speed advantage and finishing efficiency (12.3%) are the team's only stable scoring point, but its shot conversion rate has dropped to 7.8% in the last 5 games, and it depends on the pass support of Zemula (1.5 key passes per game).

The midfield is controlled by Lovridge (2.8 steals per game) and Zaraga (2.1 key passes per game), but the two have outstanding physical distribution issues, with interceptions in the last three games down 30% in the second half.

The defense line was forced to use Christensen and Bjoll's partnership due to injury. The two made a total mistake this season, resulting in five goals conceded, and facing Atletico Madrid's high-altitude bombing may become a loophole.

5. Historical confrontation and psychological game

In the last 10 confrontations of the two teams, Atletico Madrid had an absolute advantage with 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, but Betis drew 2-2 away in February 2025, breaking his previous psychological disadvantage. It is worth noting that Betis has not scored in his last three away games against Atletico Madrid and is still at a psychological disadvantage. In the first leg of this season, Atletico Madrid defeated Betis 3-1 at home, Throot scored twice, and Alvarez scored a key goal.

6. Official dynamics and on-site variables

Atletico Madrid: Simeone seeks change, youth training may become a surprise

Atletico Madrid coach Simeone clearly stated at the pre-match press conference that he would respond to the game with a "defense-first" strategy, and hinted that young midfielder Villa may be used to enhance offensive vitality. He emphasized: "Wand crosses and set pieces will be the key to breaking the game. We need to use Betis' lack of experience in defensive restructuring on the right to create murderous intent." In addition, Simeone confirmed that Alvarez's ankle injury has recovered and he can start to play in this game.

Real Betis: Pellegrini rotates, Luca's condition becomes key

Betis coach Pellegrini said: "You need to be patient when playing away games and use Atletico Madrid's midfield disorder to create murderous intent." He also confirmed that Isco (ankle sprain) and Cardozo (muscle fatigue) will decide whether to start based on pre-match assessment, but emphasized that "counterattack speed and set pieces will be our core weapons." Regarding the adjustment of the defense line, Pellegrini hinted that Christensen and Bjol might be enabled to partner with Atletico Madrid in response to high-altitude bombing.

7. Summary and special tips

Although Atletico Madrid has home advantage and a stable defense line, it relies on the offensive end of the game to the state of Throt and Alvarez. If the two cannot efficiently link up, they may be targeted by Betis' counterattack. Although Real Betis is weak away and has serious injuries, his defensive counterattack tactics are mature, Luca's personal ability and Zemula's wing breakthrough are still threatening, and his psychological disadvantages in historical confrontations have been partially alleviated.

Special Tips: The on-the-spot starting lineup announced 1 hour before the game may have a significant impact on the game trend. For example, whether Atletico Madrid has enabled Villar as the midfield organizer, whether Betis has taken the risk of letting Isco and Cardozo appear. It is recommended to obtain the latest information through the official La Liga website or the official team channels in order to more accurately judge the game situation. Let's wait and see whether this La Liga focus game that concerns the Champions League qualification and the end of the season, whether Atletico Madrid plays Kay at home or Betis grabs away points.