RCD Espanyol have confirmed their line-up for the afternoon match against Atlético de Madrid, and Serbian midfielder MarkoDmitrovic appears on the bench again. Coach Manolo González has decided that the player, who has already recovered from a back injury, will not be part of the starting eleven, opting to include RogerHinojo and VanjaDrkusic in his place.
The match will take place at 2:00 p.m. and will face the second-placed team in LaLiga, Atlético, which is five points behind the leader FC Barcelona. Espanyol, which is in twelfth position with eight points after three days without a victory, is looking for a response after its 1-1 draw in Malaga, where youth player ÁngeloFortuño had to cover the goal due to Dmitrovic's injury.
According to the official call, Espanyol will play in a 5-2-3 formation. The goalkeeper will be Fortuño, while the defense will have Omar, Drkusic, Riedel, Cabrera and Hinojo. PolLozano and EduExpósito will line up in midfield, and the forward line will be made up of JaviHernández, BryanZaragoza and RobertoFernández, who has already scored six goals in eight games and remains the team's top scorer.
The bench will include Dmitrovic, along with Gorosabel, Hartman, Urko, Puado, PereMilla, UnaiNuñez, MarcosFernández, Moscardo, Calatrava, Dolan and Bauza. The decision to leave Dmitrovic in the background is explained by the need to reinforce the defensive line and the forward line with players who can provide more dynamism in the attacking phase.
In order to get out of the relegation zone, Espanyol will have to take advantage of the opportunity to win against an Atlético team that, although strong, has shown vulnerabilities in its game. The result of this match could be decisive for the team's position in the table and will determine whether coach Manolo González will maintain his current strategy or make adjustments in the upcoming matches.