Atletico Madrid take on the visitors Granada in the round 1 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Monday, August 14th at Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid).
Atlético are unlikely to surprise much. The Mattress Makers have been playing under the guidance of Diego Simeone for over a decade. Although after their unexpected championship, the past couple of years have been somewhat unexpected, perhaps in a negative sense. Last season, the Spanish grand slipped in the Champions League, finishing only 4th in their group, which included non-powerhouses like Brugge, Porto, and Bayer (by the way, all three had a disappointing season). Even in the domestic arena, they only managed to secure 3rd place. Given the crisis of Sevilla, there was no room below, and despite all the problems of their neighbor, Real couldn't outperform them. This summer, they mainly allowed and sold unnecessary players, like Doherty, Lodi, and Kondogbia, and focused on strengthening the defense by signing Azpilicueta, Sangju, and Javi Galán. However, so far they haven't managed to get rid of João Félix or acquire someone else in midfield, like Heiberg.
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Granada back in the country's top division. After their previous stint in the Segunda, the Nasrids managed to swiftly climb into the Europa League and even reach the playoffs there, only losing to Manchester United, and they also reached the semifinals in the Cup. However, that momentum predictably faded, and the creator of those successes, Diego Martínez Peñas, also left. Without him, they unfortunately lost the battle for survival – they missed out by just 1 point. Not everything went smoothly at the beginning of last season in the Spanish second division. But they did make a timely bet on Paco López, and the experienced specialist still led his new team to 1st place in the Segunda. However, now the tasks will be more ordinary (but at the same time more difficult). To improve their chances of survival, they tried to work on the transfer market, with some success: they signed Villar, Gumbau, and Manafá, and loaned Jesús Vallejo from Real Madrid. Whether this is enough to secure their place remains to be seen.
Atlético, of course, have a significant advantage over Granada. Only in the 2021/2022 season did the latter manage to finally win, then they drew a match, but ultimately got relegated to the Segunda. The Madrid grand are hosting a newcomer at home. No surprises should be expected, so let's use a bet on Griezmann and company with a handicap of -1.5 goals.
Prediction for the match: Atletico Madrid to win.