Getafe vs Atletico Madrid preview - Contra ready to cause an upset - 7M sport

Getafe vs Atletico Madrid preview - Contra ready to cause an upset



Posted Saturday, October 25, 2014 by PA

Getafe coach Cosmin Contra is confident his side can upset reigning champions Atletico Madrid this weekend, but is concerned about the sizeable threat the Rojiblancos pose from set-pieces.

Getafe have only beaten their local rivals once in 10 meetings and were defeated 7-0 and 2-0 in last season's league encounters as Atletico claimed their first Primera Division title since 1996.

Contra fully expects Atletico to be back challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid for the top prize again this term, but that does not mean he is ruling out a Getafe victory at the Colieum Alfonso Perez on Sunday.

He said: "It's football and we can beat anyone. They are big favourites and they have the pressure because they cannot drop points if they want to be up there with Madrid and Barca.

"I would like them to fight for the league like last year because it's better for the competition and I think they are going to do that. But of course we can beat them."

To achieve that, though, Contra will be warning his side of the dangers of conceding too many corners or free-kicks around the area, with Atletico having proven themselves a major threat from dead-ball situations.

Contra said in AS: "They are the best team in the world from set-pieces. Every team knows that and they score against all of them. Either the rest of us coaches are stupid or they are very good.

"They've changed their way of playing because they have a lot of different players, but they've kept the essence of their intensity and competitiveness."

Getafe go into the weekend in 10th spot in the standings after an improved recent run of form that has seen them take seven points from their last three matches, lifting them on to 10 points for the campaign.

That is seven points behind fifth-placed Atletico, who bounced back from their first defeat of the season to Valencia before the international break with a 2-0 home win over Espanyol last Sunday.

Diego Simeone's men then followed that up with a 5-0 Champions League mauling of Malmo in midweek - all five goals coming in a devastating second-half showing.

Atletico goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya now hopes his side can end a good week on a high note when they make the short trip to his former club, who he left this summer.

When asked his opinion of Saturday's showdown between their title rivals Madrid and Barca at the Bernabeu, Moya said: "The Clasico doesn't matter to us. The game against Getafe is the most important.

"Not only because it's our next game but because we need to continue fighting for our objectives.

"We need to be prudent and for us the game against Getafe is crucial to pick up the three points and continue being close to the teams above us."



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