Villarreal take on the visitors Atletico Madrid in the round 1 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Monday, August 19th at Estadio de la Ceramica (Villarreal).
Villarreal recently, under Emery, won their first "big" trophy, the Europa League. And, just a season later, they repeated their best-ever performance in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals. Even when Unai left for Aston Villa, they managed quite well, finishing 5th in La Liga... But last season was a disaster, and even after Marcelino, who was once successful at the club, returned to the coaching position in late autumn, the "Submariners" still only finished in 8th place—meaning for the first time in years, the club will miss out on European competitions. And they've lost several key players, including Sorloth, one of La Liga's top scorers, their starting goalkeeper Jørgensen, defenders Cuenca and Moreno, and veteran Trigueros. Yes, Nicolas Pépé has arrived, and they've signed Camará, Diego Conde, and Cardona, but they weren’t quick to spend money on Lenglet.
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Atletico made significant changes again. The "Rojiblancos" last season only really improved in the Champions League, and that was compared to 2022 when the Spanish giants shockingly failed to get out of their group. Domestically, they faced a serious threat from Athletic Club, while Girona pulled away beyond reach. Fortunately for Atletico, the Basques turned their focus to the Copa del Rey in the spring (and ultimately won the trophy), so Atletico managed to maintain their spot in the top four of Spanish football. Nevertheless, Diego Simeone and his employers decided to overhaul the squad. Gone are Savic, Hermoso, Depay, Vitolo, Gabriel Paulista, Morata, and Saúl Ñíguez. João Félix also clearly doesn't have a place in the team. But they’ve spent a lot of money on Sorloth, Álvarez, Gallagher, and Le Normand, potentially coming out stronger after all the roster shuffling.
After four matches without a win, the "Rojiblancos" managed to win both encounters in last season’s La Liga. The "Yellow Submarine" hasn’t impressed in their friendlies, while the visitors have looked quite good this summer. We recommend betting on Atletico with a "draw no bet" option.
Prediction for the match: Atletico Madrid to win with 0,0 handicap.
