Matchday #3 in La Liga is approaching and Atletico Madrid are taking on Catalan side Espanyol on the 28th of August at Estadio Metropolitano.
Despite the lavish spending, Atletico Madrid failed the opening domestic league test. The game versus in-form Villarreal ended 2-2, but we do believe the Mattress Makers have what it takes to be considered in the title race this year.
Espanyol, on the other hand, are having an even worse start, with two back-to-back losses in the last couple of days. Can the Catalan team prove our Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol predictions wrong?
How the bookies view it: Atletico Madrid to humiliate their guests
The odds behind an Atletico Madrid win are stacked at 37/100, which means coach Diego Simeone’s players shouldn’t have too many issues securing a win over their humble rivals.
Seeing as the visitors lost their two La Liga games, we think the bookies were right to peg them as massive underdogs at Estadio Metropolitano, with odds valued at 9/1. The visitors will definitely have issues keeping the opposition away from their penalty box on Wednesday.
Recent head-to-head: Horrible winless streak for Espanyol
Espanyol’s last success over Atletico Madrid was recorded on the 4th of May, 2019. That means the visitors haven’t won a game in five years against Simeone’s side! The last six head-to-heads resulted in three victories for the Mattress Makers and three draws.
Espanyol won only one of the last five matches at Estadio Metropolitano. It was a thrifty two-goal win on May 6th, 2018.
Players to watch: Is it time for the Alvarez show?
Atletico Madrid’s men in charge spared no expense in the summer of 2024 by signing World Cup Champion Julian Alvarez. The former Manchester City star joined the team a couple of weeks ago after a mind-blowing £82m bid was made for his services. He was among the key performers for Pep Guardiola during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. Therefore, we are convinced he will do just fine in La Liga under fellow countryman Simeone’s guidance.
Alexander Sorloth is another player you should keep an eye out for, as he already opened his score tab for the Mattress Makers. Sorloth is a striker and we expect him to be a starter for Simeone at Estadio Metropolitano this week.
Predicted line-ups
We believe Atletico Madrid’s boss will rely on Alvarez and Sorloth in this game. This is huge news for our Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol prediction, as the visitors just don’t have the required arsenal at the back to deal with the Mattress Makers’ tremendous strike force.
We think coach Manolo Gonzalez will go for his beloved 4-4-2 in the match at Estadio Metropolitano as well, with Puado and Veliz leading the attack in desperate hopes that Espanyol will be able to score more than Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak – Le Normand, Vitsel, Azpilicueta, Llorente, Koke, Barrios, Mandava – Alvarez, Griezmann – Sorloth
Espanyol: Garcia – El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero – Cardona, Gragera, Kral, Carreras – Veliz & Puado
Anything else catch the eye?
Atletico Madrid’s chief striker scored a goal against Villarreal at El Madrigal last week. Alexander Sorloth to score anytime is currently priced at 5/4, which means the Norwegian striker has a good chance of sliding it past Garcia on the 28th of August and proving our key Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol prediction correct.
This La Liga match between Atletico Madrid and Espanyol will be played on Aug 28, 2024 and kick off at 20:30. Check below for our tipsters best Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
