PREVIEW: strugglers Real Oviedo host Champions League hopefuls Atlético Madrid | OneFootball

Real Oviedo take on La Liga top four mainstays Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere targeting an unlikely win to lift themselves off the foot of the table on Saturday night.

The Oviedistas start the match day bottom on 17 points, eight points from safety with 18 matches remaining, while their visitors come into the day in fourth on 48 points.

The bottom club are struggling for form in the run-up to this match, having only won 1 of their last 18 matches in LaLiga, despite that win coming fairly recently with a 1-0 win over Girona on the 31st of January.

But a win against Diego Simeone’s side could see the hosts move 19th, two points above fellow strugglers Levante.

Guillermo Almada’s side will be desperately looking for points in a bid to survive for the first time in 25 years, and may be disheartened by the amount of points they have picked up by this point in the season.

Being eight points adrift of safety heading into the final months of the season makes avoiding relegation an incredibly difficult task for Los Azules.

However, this match is not quite as cut and dry as it may look on paper as Atléti’s form has dipped lately, having only picking up two wins in their last five matches in La Liga.

Their overall form this season has seemingly come short of any apparent title challenge, being 12 points off of Real Madrid in second and 13 from leaders Barcelona.

Instead, the Rojiblancos find themselves in a fight to stay in Champions League contention, as Real Betis close in.

A team so familiar with silverware languishing so far from the top spots is far from where Atletico would rather be, yet competition for the Champions League leaves them with no choice but to battle for their customary spot.

A win for Atleético Madrid could push them into 3rd if Villarreal lose, and further away from Real Betis in hot pursuit.

When the two sides met at the Metropolitano Stadium on the 29th November, Atletico Madrid emerged 2-0 victors, but might face a scrappier encounter in the reverse fixture – frustrated by their league positions.