BetKing Preview: Atletico Madrid vs. Sevilla: Los Rojiblancos to win on their turf Diego Simeone’s side has raised the bar defensively this season and should be able to put in another solid effort against the Andalusians this weekend Atletico Madrid play host to Sevilla at the Wanda Metropolitano in their LaLiga Matchday 36 clash on Sunday evening. With no title to take home this season, all Atleti can aim for is to finish second in the league. They are presently six points ahead of city rivals Real Madrid and victory here, at the odds of (2.20) with BetKing, will seal it with just one game left to end the season. For Joaquin Caparros’ team, they currently sit in fifth place, three points behind Getafe in the race for the final Uefa Champions League qualification spot. El Geta will be away at newly-crowned league champions Barcelona, hence it’s a chance for the Andalusian outfit to close the gap. Having won just once against Atletico Madrid in 16 previous LaLiga meetings, Sevilla are underdogs with the same bet firm at odds of (3.35). The corresponding league fixture in January ended in a draw and another one is priced at (3.45). Atletico Madrid are by far the most defensively solid team in LaLiga this season, having conceded just 26 goals, keeping an impressive 20 cleansheets. They have lost one of their last 11 home games against Sevilla in all competitions and with Caparros’ men struggling on the road, with just two wins from their previous 14 matches, punters will profit handsomely backing Atleti to win to nil at odds of (3.95) with BetKing. 18+ Play Responsibly.<doc-sep>Sevilla spoiled Diego Godin's final home appearance for Atletico Madrid as Pablo Sarabia scored in the 70th minute to force a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Sarabia beat Jan Oblak with a tidy side-footed finish from Franco Vazquez's cross to cancel out Koke's heavily deflected opener and keep alive the Andalusian club's slim Champions League hopes. The result would have been sweeter for Joaquin Caparros' side had the goalscorer buried a good chance for a second and they still require results to go their way on the final day in order to pip Valencia and Getafe to fourth. Atletico, meanwhile, will console themselves in the knowledge that second place behind LaLiga champions Barcelona is at least secured for the second successive season. 19 - @atletienglish have scored in all of their home games in a single LaLiga season for the first time since 1983/84. Metropolitano. — OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 12, 2019 Alvaro Morata looked lively early on and brought a good save from Tomas Vaclik with a determined close-range header. The striker did have the ball in the net just before the half-hour mark, but Filipe Luis had strayed offside in the build-up. Fortune turned in Atletico's favour when Koke's tame attempt deflected off Simon Kjaer and wrong-footed goalkeeper Vaclik, before Sevilla lost Maxime Gonalons to an apparent muscle injury. Thomas Partey gave the visitors a let-off after the interval, finishing wide of the left post following good lead-up play. The assistant's flag next came to their rescue, Angel Correa having stepped beyond the last defender before rounding Vaclik. And the visitors eventually made the reprieves count as Sarabia's volley squirmed under Francisco Montero's boot and past Oblak. The winger was presented with a great chance to complete a quickfire comeback barely four minutes later, but he ballooned his shot over the crossbar to leave Sevilla two points adrift of the top four.<doc-sep>Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla: A part of Atletico's soul will die on Sunday LaLiga Godin's final home match with Los Rojiblancos Atletico Madrid can wrap up second place in LaLiga Santander with a point against Sevilla, or failing that a Real Madrid loss at Real Sociedad, which would secure Los Rojiblancos' 10th second-place finish in their history. Sunday's clash with Sevilla will have a sombre feeling to it, though, as it will mark Diego Godin's final home match at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Uruguayan centre-back will leave for Inter in the summer, having achieved legendary status at Los Rojiblancos, and a part of Atletico's soul will die on Sunday evening with his departure. Never have a name and surname represented so much at a club. Diego, the namesake of Diego Simeone, has been an extension of the coach on the pitch, while Godin will leave Atletico as one of their top 10 highest appearance makers with 387, ahead of Luis Aragones' 386. His loyalty has been demonstrated ever since he joined the club in 2010, always ignoring offers to depart Los Colchoneros, and his class was shown on Tuesday in his farewell press conference, despite disagreements with the club's leaders which led to his exit. With Godin, much more is leaving than just a player. He has won the second most trophies with Atletico in their 116-year history, of which five were continental and three domestic, and he is only behind Abelardo Rodriguez's 10. The captain who lifted the European Super Cup in Tallinn at the start of the season after beating Real Madrid was the best heir to the values that had been previously been transmitted by Gabi and Fernando Torres. The 33-year-old formed an outstanding relationship with Miranda in defence, culminating in the 2012/13 Copa del Rey victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu which changed the history of the derbies between Los Rojiblancos and Los Blancos. Atletico's supporters will never forget Godin's header at the Camp Nou, too, as they ended their 18-year wait for a LaLiga Santander title in 2013/14. It was his goal that gave Atletico the lead in the Champions League final that same season, only for Sergio Ramos to break Rojiblanco hearts in the 93rd minute. The club's ambassador is leaving. The defender, who has regularly been included in the top 30 for the Ballon d'Or, has been a fulcrum at the back as Atletico have become regular winners of the Zamora Trophy, with Thibaut Courtois winning two and Jan Oblak picking up three, which will become four at the end of this season. Godin is respected by the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, as well as defenders such as Gerard Pique. He has been Jose Gimenez's teacher. He told the Wanda to stop whistling Antoine Griezmann and to start applauding him instead. He was the one who was key in Griezmann opting to remain at the club last summer. He suffered a broken nose after a collision with former Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, yet he stayed on the pitch so that he could experience Atletico's 4-0 victory over their arch-rivals. The image of Godin losing three teeth against Valencia will live long in the memory, too. His injured goal against Athletic Club earlier this season was the epitome of this warrior; he could barely move but still found a way to come out victorious. His courage and heart when singing Atletico's hymn will no doubt bring a tear to the eye of many fans on Sunday when he sings it for the final time. One of the most loved players in recent memory at Atletico is departing the club. Godin's heart beats, feels, vibrates and suffers in the same way as Los Colchoneros' supporters. Therefore, against Sevilla on Sunday, part of Atletico's soul will die with the departure of the legendary No.3. Sevilla are not here to party Whilst there will be a party atmosphere in the stands as Atletico bid farewell to Godin, Sevilla will be looking to spoil the proceedings. Joaquin Caparros has applauded the Uruguayan, but Sevilla have one goal in mind: win in order to stay in the race for Champions League football. Everyone involved with the Andalusian side, from coaches to supporters, will be pressing 'F5' to update the results and see how Getafe, Valencia and Athletic are all getting on. On paper, Atletico are the favourites. Sevilla have been a different side away from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, and they will be coming up a formidable Atletico side at the Wanda. After all, they have lost just once there all season and have conceded nine goals in 17 games at home. There are a series of absentees for Sevilla, too, with Gabriel Mercado, Maximilian Wober and Daniel Carrico in defence, Ever Banega in midfield, and Andre Silva and Quincy Promes in attack. But with Sevilla, you never know. They lost to Girona and Leganes with everything in their favour to finish fourth, yet they could cause an upset at the Wanda. Without the Champions League, something will die in their soul.<doc-sep>
Atletico Madrid ensured they finished runners-up in La Liga and above Real Madrid for a second year in a row after drawing 1-1 with Sevilla on Sunday in captain Diego Godin's final home game for the club. The result further harmed Sevilla's chances of qualifying for the Champions League though, as they stayed sixth in the standings and trail fourth-placed Valencia by two points heading into the final game of the campaign. Spain midfielder Koke put Atletico ahead on the half-hour mark with a heavily deflected shot from outside the area after starting his run towards goal from his side's own half of the pitch. Diego Godin is given 'the bumps' by his Atletico Madrid team-mates after his final home game The Atletico Madrid captain poses with loved ones and team-mates after the draw with Sevilla Sevilla levelled midway through the second half with an impressive strike from Pablo Sarabia, who calmly side-footed a looping cross on the volley into the bottom corner, just about keeping alive their chances of making it into the top four. Sevilla are on 56 points with one game left, two behind fifth-placed Getafe and fourth-placed Valencia and they have an inferior head-to-head record with both sides. Getafe dropped out of the Champions League places after a 2-0 defeat to the champions Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Koke gave Atletico the lead in the first half with a heavily deflected shot from outside the area Sevilla levelled midway through the second half with an impressive strike from Pablo Sarabia Antoine Griezmann poses for photos with his daughter at the Wanda Metropolitano Atletico have 75 points, seven ahead of their more illustrious neighbours Real, who sunk to an 11th defeat of the campaign by losing 3-1 at Real Sociedad. Brahim Diaz scored his first goal for Real Madrid to open the scoring before they were sent down to 10 men. Sociedad then stormed to a impressive win at the San Sebastian stadium.