1. The roar of the Tiger!
When Radamel Falcao Garcia was snapped up from FC Porto last season to be the replacement of not only Diego Forlan but also of Sergio Aguero, much pressure evidently weighed on his shoulders, but the Colombian international found little difficulty adapting to the Spanish game and to Atletico and his purchase can now be considered perhaps the club's best since that of Aguero. Falcao has been in superb form in La Liga this season, with 22 goals to his name, and he has also left his mark on Europe, with 8 goals in the Europa League, including two goals in the quarter-finals against Hannover 96.
Falcao, who was incidentally coached by Atletico coach Diego Simeone at River Plate in 2008, will be looking to use his quick feet and aerial strength to unsettle the Valencia defense on Thursday in order to steer Los Colchoneros closer to the final. Due to his prolific scoring form, Falcao is expected to find the back of the net at the Vicente Calderon. Don't forget, Falcao scored the winning goal when FC Porto ousted SC Braga 1-0 to win the Europa League last season. The Colombian also finished top of the scoring charts with a staggering 17 goals.
2. Simeone's highly-aggressive approach.
When Simeone replaced Gregorio Manzano as the head coach of Atletico Madrid in December, many questioned whether he would be able to turn around the fortunes of a club that found itself in the midst of a crisis. But Simeone, who is known for his aggressive style of soccer, made an instant impact at the Vicente Calderon, particulary because he has managed to get the most out of what had been a bunch of underperforming players. Four months on, Atletico Madrid have been transformed into a rock-solid unit, and while they sit steady in La Liga, they are in touching distance of the Europe League final. Simeone's never-say-die attitude seems to have inspired his players and if they follow his orders they should obtain the desired result against Valencia. The former Atletico Madrid midfielder will be more motivated than ever on Thursday.
3. Home-field advantage.
Over the last few years any team that visited the Vicente Calderon would rate their chances of returning home with at least a point, but since the appointment of Simeone this has changed somewhat. Atletico have been extremely hard nuts to crack when playing at home this season, as they have only suffered 4 defeats from 25 games on home soil. Simeone and Atletico are more than aware that their away record (3 wins from 17 road games in La Liga) leaves a lot to be desired, and due to this against Valencia they will look for a home win at all costs. Despite the fact that Simeone's men had to settle for a frustrating goalless draw when the sides met at the Vicente Calderon in February, they are most likely to go a step further this time around.
4. A battered Soldier?
Much of Valencia's success this season can be brought down to the scoring form of star striker Roberto Soldado, but fortunately for Atletico, the player has missed his team's last two games due to injury and is in doubt for Thursday's clash. While Soldado is expected to take the field, he isn't at full fitness and if he plays as the lone striker the move could possibly play into Atletico's hands. However, Atletico should still be wary of the threat he poses, after all it was Soldado's strike that split the sides when they met in La Liga last September.
5. Recent history.
Atletico edged out Valencia on the away goals rule to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League two years ago, but despite the fact that only four players who featured in that game remain in their squad still today, Los Rojiblancos will be hoping to repeat the feat. In the opening fixture of that tie at the Mestalla, Atletico took the lead twice but had to settle for a 2-2 draw in the end. The away goals converted by Diego Forlan and Antonio Lopez were invaluable for the side, as the goalless draw in the return leg sent them through. That season Atletico went on to lift the title when Forlan scored twice to hand them a 2-1 victory over Fulham in the final. Will Los Colchoneros be able to overcome Valencia once again?
