Atletico Madrid find themselves at the top of the table but now they have to deal with a re-juvenated Barcelona coming for the top spot. But first, Atletico have to deal with a tough Celta Vigo team. 

Form 

After drawing with Rayo Vallecano in the Copa Del Rey, Atletico Madrid will be looking to bounce back in La Liga. Atletico are currently on a two game winning streak in the league after their 2-0 defeat to Malaga before the winter break. This had helped them stay at the top of La Liga but the Catalans were nipping at their heels. Atletico did hold a two point lead over Barcelona but the Catalans beat Granada 4-0 on Saturday to take the lead. It is looking to be a three team race as always in La Liga, but this time the two front runners are Atletico and Barcelona. Diego Simeone has Atleti playing unbelieveable football as they are one of the hottest teams in Europe right now and it will be a challenge for Celta Vigo nonetheless. 

It has been a dream season for Celta Vigo as they find themselves in European qualification as they are fifth in the league right now. With them being five points off Villarreal, Europa League seems like the most logical and realistic destination for Vigo right now. They got off to a good start in the Copa Del Rey with a 3-0 win over Cadiz in the first leg but they are reeling in La Liga as of late. They are in a two game slide with a 2-0 loss to Malaga in their most recent match. But this is the same team that smashed Barcelona earlier this year and behind target man Nolito, Vigo is a threat to take points from the league leaders. But sadly, the striker was ruled out with a leg injury that kept him out of action for much of December. 

Team News

Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo has apologised to Rayo Vallecano fans for offensive gestures he made during the last match between the two teams. 

Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo did a little buisness before the match as Vigo sold midfielder Augsto Fernandez to Atletico for a fee of 6.5M Euros. 

It will be tough sledding for any fan that wants to attend this game. The roads around the ground are flooded due to heavy rains. But Celta Vigo still plan on having the match. 

What They're Saying

"But the squad has been competitive since the pre-season and the best way for us to improve is by competing." said Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone to reporters when asked about the state of his team (via ESPNFC). Always the perfectionist, this was a typical Simeone response as he continues one of the managers to watch in football. 

Predicton 

Celta Vigo have had a good run but Atletico are on another level right now. This has the making of the same team that won La Liga and made it to the Champions League final a few years ago. Scrappy and willing to defend at all costs. Atletico Madrid take all three points in this game. 

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About the author
Vijay Vemu
Vijay is a sports journalist who covers mainly the NBA and soccer. He is a credential reporter on the Chicago Fire and also covers NBA for VAVEL as well. He is also a editor for Mash Chicago, the publication of the Chicago Tribune. He is also a contributor at SB Nation's Blog A Bull and Big East Coast Bias as well as writing on European Soccer as well. He plans on attending the University of Illnois at Chicago (UIC) in the fall with a major in computer science. You can follow him on Twitter : @VJVemu