Winless Atletico Madrid will be looking to register their first win of the season when they host high-flying Villarreal on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid will be eager to get their season back on track when they square up against Villarreal, who have made an impressive start to the new campaign. While the home team are yet to win a game, the visitors remain unbeaten so far.
Diego Simeone’s team started the season with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Espanyol, and have not been able to recover since. They followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Elche, before playing out another draw against Deportivo Alaves.
While they have dominated the proceedings and created plenty of chances, Atletico Madrid have not been clinical in the final third and have failed to keep things tight at the back. The international break certainly came at the right time for them, and now they will be hoping to kick-start their season with a win.
Meanwhile, Villarreal have picked up from where they left off last season. They have seven points from their first three outings and are third on the points table. They started off with back-to-back wins against Real Oviedo and Girona.
However, they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo last time out. They were the second-best team on the night and were lucky to have come out with a point. Villarreal will have to put up a much better performance against Atletico Madrid if they want to secure all three points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone will be without the services of Alex Baena, Jose Gimenez and Thiago Almada. While Conor Gallagher was linked with a move away in the latter stages of the window, he ended up staying at the club and is expected to be a part of the XI with Baena and Almada out injured.
Against Villarreal, Atletico Madrid will line up in Simeone’s preferred 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Marcos Llorente and David Hancko could feature as the full-backs in this one, while Robin Le Normand should partner Clement Lenglet in central defence.
In the centre of the park, Johnny Cardoso should partner with Conor Gallagher. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, Giuliano Simeone and Pablo Barrios will feature out wide on the flanks. They will look to support the full-backs and provide much-needed width to their attacks. Finally, Alexander Sorloth should partner with Julian Alvarez in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Hancko; Simeone, Cardoso, Gallagher, Barrios; Sorloth, Alvarez
Villarreal
The visitors will be without the services of Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, and Pau Cabanes for this fixture. Meanwhile, Gerard Moreno and Ayoze Perez are major doubts for this trip to the Spanish capital.
Against Atletico Madrid, Villarreal are also expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Luiz Junior will take charge in goal. Santiago Mourino and Sergi Cardona should be the full-backs, while Juan Foyth will partner Rafa Marin in the heart of the defence.
Tajon Buchanan and Alberto Moleiro will feature out wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Santi Comesana and Pape Gueye will take charge in a more central position. The duo will look to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not run the show. In the final third, Nicolas Pepe should partner with debutant Georges Mikautadze.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Junior; Mourino, Foyth, Marin, S Cardona; Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Pepe, Mikautadze
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid are yet to win a game this season (D2 L1), while Villarreal are unbeaten (W2 D1).
- Diego Simeone’s team have only won 16 of their last 48 matches against the Yellow Submarine.
- Villarreal have only lost two out of their last eight meetings against Atletico Madrid.
- Both league fixtures during the 2024/25 season ended in a draw.
- The Yellow Submarine have only won five out of their last 24 away matches against Simeone’s team.
Player to Watch
Alexander Sorloth
Sorloth was more of a rotational option for Simeone’s team last season. Despite not being a regular starter, the 29-year-old had an impressive debut campaign, where he scored goals for fun every time he walked out to the middle.
The experienced striker is expected to have a more prominent role this season. Sorloth has already bagged a goal, and he will be eager to add to his tally against Villarreal. More importantly, he would want to ensure his team claims all three points.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Villarreal
Atletico Madrid will be desperate to turn their luck around when they host an in-form Villarreal side at the Wanda Metropolitano. Diego Simeone’s men have struggled to find the cutting edge in front of goal despite dominating possession and creating chances in their first three outings.
With Alexander Sorloth expected to lead the line alongside Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid will look to be more clinical in the final third this time around. Villarreal, unbeaten so far this season, will aim to extend their fine run, but breaking down a defensively resolute Atletico won’t be straightforward.
Nicolas Pepe and debutant Georges Mikautadze will try to exploit spaces and stretch Atletico Madrid’s backline, while Santi Comesana and Pape Gueye will look to stifle the home side’s midfield.
However, the home side’s familiarity with high-pressure fixtures and their growing urgency for a win should see them edge past the visitors. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Diego Simeone and his charges.
