Atletico Madrid aims to secure its fourth consecutive victory in all competitions when they face Alaves in La Liga on Saturday afternoon. Currently, Atletico sits second in the La Liga standings, trailing league leaders Barcelona by five points. Alaves holds the sixth position, with 11 points earned from seven matches.

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Alaves has recorded three wins, two draws, and two losses this season, capturing 10 points from their initial four matches before experiencing back-to-back defeats to Racing de Santander and Valencia. Their most recent outing resulted in a goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao, marking a positive start to the campaign under coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Historically, Alaves has struggled against Atletico, winning only nine of their last 35 encounters in all competitions, with 19 losses. However, they have a better record at home against Atletico, remaining unbeaten in their last four home league games, securing two victories during that time.

Atletico Madrid entered the international break after a successful run, winning three straight league matches against Real Sociedad, Osasuna, and Real Madrid. With a packed October schedule lined up, including matches against Alaves, Espanyol, Deportivo La Coruna, and Levante, Atletico hopes to establish momentum in both La Liga and the Champions League.

In terms of team news, Alaves will miss Mikel Rodriguez, Facundo Garces, and Ville Koski for Saturday's match, although the rest of the squad is in solid shape. Lucas Boye, with four goals this season, will lead the attack alongside Toni Martinez, who seeks his first goal of the campaign.

Atletico Madrid is expected to have a fully fit roster, with Pablo Barrios and Alexander Sorloth returning from injury. Julian Alvarez may join the starting lineup to regain form, while Alex Baena and Giuliano Simeone are also in contention. Lee Kang-in is expected to play the number 10 role, with Koke potentially moving to midfield.

Predicted starting lineups include:

Alaves: Sivera; Tenaglia, Valentini, Otto; Perez, Ibanez, Suarez, Blanco, Rebbach; Martinez, Boye

Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Koke, Cardoso; Simeone, Kang-in, Baena; Alvarez

In conclusion, while Alaves has demonstrated commendable performance this season, Atletico's current form leads to an expectation of a narrow win for the visitors.