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The final game of 2023, making up a fixture that was supposed to be played in September. Atlético de Madrid on Saturday welcome struggling Sevilla to the Cívitas Metropolitano, hoping to end calendar year 2023 with a win to halt its recent slump.
December has not been a kind month to Atlético Madrid (11-2-4, 35 points). Los Rojiblancos have fallen into a tie for fourth place in LaLiga with red-hot Athletic Club after a stretch of one win from four in the league, including losses to Athletic and FC Barcelona prior to a draw (with 10 men) against Getafe on Tuesday.
That makes this game in hand against Quique Sánchez Flores and Sevilla (3-7-7, 16 points) even more important, as Atlético with a victory would move level on points with Barcelona and within seven points of co-leaders Real Madrid and Girona ? Atleti?s next opponent in LaLiga following the holiday break. Sevilla have never won in the Metropolitano, but are coming off a badly-needed 3-0 victory against relegation-threatened rivals Granada on Tuesday. ?Since the beginning of the season, there has been the same responsibility,? head coach Diego Simeone told the media on Friday. ?We?re going to measure ourselves against a team that was very solid in Granada, with experienced players and a coach who knows Atlético.?

Of course, there is more at stake on Saturday than consolidation of a top-four spot with more than half the season still to come. Antoine Griez...