Atletico Madrid will take on Granada in the Liga BBVA on Thursday.
Los Colchoneros enter the match four points behind Barcelona for first place and will look to continue keeping pace with their top rivals. Atletico Madrid is hoping that the off-field controversies will not harm the play of star forward Diego Costa. Costa has 11 goals in the Spanish League right now and is the top "Pichichi" candidate at this point in the season. However, he has been in the middle of a perpetual battle between Spain and Brazil for his international services. The forward was recently called up for service by Brazil, but rejected the call-up and pledged his allegiance to Spain.
"It was a complicated decision to choose between the country where I was born and the country that has given me everything, that is Spain," he said, according to ESPN. "I thought about it and the correct thing to do was to play for Spain. All that I have in my life this country has given me. Here is where I feel my worth."
His decision was taken poorly by Brazil's soccer federation and Costa has been threatened with being stripped of his Brazilian citizenship.
"At no moment did I renounce Brazil, I didn't think about it in that way. Simply it is that here I feel valued, here I have made my career. It was a well thought decision but it is not a renouncement," he protested. "I have family in Brazil, where I was born and when I retire I am going to live there. I hope that people understand and respect my decision because it was difficult."
Prediction: Madrid wins 2-0.
Start Time: 3 p.m. EST
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