To finish off our weekend I will turn my attention to a game in La Liga which looks particularly good for cards so how does a card treble sound!? Everyone knows about Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone and how both he and his side like to bend the rules. His antics were there for all to see on Tuesday night in the Champions League as he marauded the touchline as always and caused controversy as he refused to shake Jurgen Klopps at the final whistle. In addition, the game is to be officiated by José Luis Munuera Montero who has proven himself to be prolific with his cards this season averaging 5.75 YCPG and 0.5 reds. Worth also noting it is a massive game at the top of La Liga with Sociedad currently leading the way in 1st and Atletico 3 points behind currently down in fifth. Fancy cards galore in this one so below are my three favourite players to get into the referee’s notebook on Sunday Evening backed up with plenty of stats and research.

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Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad Bet Builder Tips

Mikel Merino to be Booked v Atletico Madrid

Let’s kick things off with Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino then. Would you believe that the Spanish international played for Newcastle back in 2018? Fair to say he has come on leaps and bounds since his short spell at St James Park and is now widely considered as one of the best midfielders in La Liga. He is something of a classic defensive midfielder by nature, Merino is extremely active out of possession and regularly looks to break up the opposition’s rhythm. His imposing physique ensures his presence is felt in front of the defense. 

He will be responsible for keeping tabs on an extremely talented Atletico midfield and will be up against the likes of Lemar, De Paul and Koke who are all wonderfully gifted football players but also have something of a nasty streak. His career average of 0.32 YCPG is mightily impressive and is the highest of any Sociedad player so he looks as good a pick as any from the visitors point of view. 

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Yannick Carrasco to be Booked v Atletico Madrid

Now a couple of Atletico players to be carded. Unsurprisingly they are the second dirtiest team in La Liga so far this season having picked up 30 yellows and 2 reds so far this season. Only Granada can boast more and as I say Simeone will not mind one bit seeing that statistic.

The next man I would like to focus on is Yannick Carrasco. has the reputation of being a bit of a maverick. I mean the guy did move to China during the peak of his career and spend a couple of years at DL Yifang which kind of shows he doesn’t follow the norm. His versatility and general appetite to defend make him a favourite with his manager and he has a bit of an attitude about him too which has seen him rack up the cards, particularly this season. He is averaging a YCPG this season at a very healthy average of 0.45 and in his career he is generally consistent at picking up a card at 0.25. He will likely start on the left in a wingback sort of role and will be responsible for keeping tabs on the very tricky Adnan Januzaj who as you can see is comfortably the most fouled Sociedad player (4 fouls drawn per game). He is a massive price of 4.50 so he looks exceptional value in this one.

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Felipe to be Booked v Real Sociedad

We of course stick with an Atletico player for the final selection of the game and will look to Brazilian defender Felipe to do the business for us. Despite his experience he is a very rash and emotional player which is probably why Simeone likes him so much. He came out straight out after the Liverpool game to publicly criticise the referee which kind of sums up the type of personality he is. Moaning, cheating and bending the rules are regular features in the defender’s game which can often land him in trouble as his card sheet stats can signify. He will also be responsible for keeping tabs on the incredible young talent Alex Isak. The Swede is one of the best young forwards in European football and would cause some of the best defenders in the world plenty of problems as he showed in this summers European Championships. 

The card sheet shows how Felipe is a prolific member of the referees notebook. His career average of 0.27 is very decent and given the level of talent he will face off against Isak, Silva and Januzaj – he is my pick for a card in the Atletico backline.

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Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad Predicted Line-ups

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Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad Card Sheet

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* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *

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How to watch Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad in La Liga

📅   When is Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad? / Sunday, 24 October 2021, 20:00 BST
🏟   Where is Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad? / Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid)
📺 What TV Channel is Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad on? / La Liga TV
📱   Online Live Streaming for Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad / bet365
🟨   …And who is the referee for Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad? / José Luis Munuera Montero 🇪🇸