Atletico Madrid visit struggling Espanyol aiming for sixth straight win

Atletico Madrid will try to extend their excellent run of form this Saturday at the RCDE Stadium, where they face an Espanyol side in serious need of points. Simeone's men have won five matches in a row, four of them in the league, and now visit a struggling opponent whose coach, Manolo González, is running out of credit after a poor recent spell.

• Atletico travel to Cornellà on the back of five straight wins, four in LaLiga.
• Simeone is considering heavy rotation ahead of Tuesday's trip to Stuttgart.
• Koke misses out through injury and Cardoso stays in Madrid due to illness.
• Manolo González faces growing pressure after one point from nine in the Espanyol dugout.
• Espanyol are without injured duo Jofre Carreras and Kike García.

Atletico Madrid face a venue that has rarely been kind to them

The visitors arrive in Cornellà riding a wave of confidence that has become rare in recent seasons. The quick settling-in of new signings, the growth of players who joined last year and the reliability provided by more experienced squad members have turned this Atletico side into a formidable opponent. Still, the RCDE Stadium is not an easy ground for Simeone's team, who have often struggled there and will be keen to reverse that trend.

The coach believes the squad is closer than ever to completing the kind of team structure he has long been asking for. There are details to improve, but the momentum the group has found suggests the project is moving in the right direction.

Simeone weighs squad rotation before Stuttgart trip

The fixture list is demanding and the Argentine knows it. His side play in Stuttgart on Tuesday, so rotation will be key to keeping a group fresh that features 15 or 16 players capable of starting. Simeone is considering shaking up his eleven and bringing in names who were on the bench against Manchester United.

Players like Pubill, Lookman, Hjulmand and Jonathan David could start at Cornellà as the manager spreads minutes across the squad. Atletico have two clear absentees: Koke, out with a muscle injury, and Cardoso, who remained in Madrid due to illness. Everyone else is available.

Julián Álvarez searches for his scoring touch again

Julián Álvarez will be another key storyline. The Argentine striker looks closer to his best again, but he still has to prove it on the pitch. His work rate and commitment are beyond question; what is missing now is a return to being decisive in front of goal. He has not scored for Atletico since April, a drought approaching six months that a player of his quality will be desperate to end.

Simeone hopes that bringing in fresh legs will unlock the forward and help him get back among the goals. A game against an Espanyol side forced to take risks could be the right setting for that.

Manolo González under fire in the Espanyol dugout

On the home side, the manager's position has been under close scrutiny in recent weeks. Results have not been good enough and the coach's credit is fading. Espanyol have collected just one point from the last nine available, a run that has raised serious doubts around the project.

The dressing room has publicly backed the manager, and the players themselves accept they must raise their level to help the team climb away from danger and strengthen González's position. A strong home performance against in-form Atletico could change the narrative.

Roberto Fernández leads Espanyol's attacking threat

Espanyol lose Jofre Carreras and Kike García to injury for the match, two absences that reduce their firepower. The attacking burden will fall on Roberto Fernández, now a full Spain international, who remains the home side's biggest danger to the Atletico defence.

The local fans expect their team to compete head-to-head against a side in excellent form and to turn the RCDE Stadium into a fortress again. A positive result against Atletico would deliver a major boost both mentally and in the table.