Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Spanish Primera
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We have two giants of the Spanish game facing off against each other at the Metropolitano in the capital city this weekend. Atletico Madrid have had a busy summer transfer window and they face a Valencia side that have struggled at the start of this season.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 15th September, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Atletico Madrid vs Valencia may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN+
ATLETICO MADRID PREVIEW: FRUSTRATING BUT FIRM ATLETI
Diego Simeone is attempting to reinvest himself once again this season with Los Rojiblancos spending heavily throughout the summer transfer window. Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad as well as Alexander Sorloth from the same club, Juan Musso on loan from Atalanta and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher have arrived for way over £100 million.
There were signs of becoming, or at least continuing, their more attacking and entertaining style of football with a 2-2 draw against Villarreal before hammering Girona by three goals to nil. After that, they were held to a frustrating goalless draw against Espanyol at the Metropolitano but managed to go into the break on the back of a 1-0 win away at Athletic Club in the Basque Country.
VALENCIA PREVIEW: VILLAINS IN VALENCIA
It has been a really difficult start to the season for Valencia. With off-field issues and supporter unrest persisting, Ruben Baraja has struggled for a while now with something of a mini collapse away from the top seven and the European spots towards the end of last season and they look set for another relegation battle in La Liga this time around.
The Valencians began their season by taking the lead against Barcelona at Mestalla on the opening weekend before then suffering a 2-1 loss. That was followed up by being beaten 3-1 in Galicia against Celta Vigo and 1-0 in the Basque Country against Athletic Club. Before the break, they were held to a 1-1 draw in a derby against Villarreal in which their opposition were down to ten men for over 20 minutes of the match.
ATLETICO MADRID TEAM NEWS: TIME FOR THE BIG GUNS
Diego Simeone has spent the early part of the season bedding in his exciting new signings but now is the time for the likes of Robin Le Normand, Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez to start together.
There will be an irritation for the Argentinian boss when he said there definitely would be another midfield signing, there wasn’t and now Pablo Barrios is out injured.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-1-2): Oblak; Cesar Azpilicueta, Jose Maria Gimenez, Reinildo; Nahuel Molina, Gallagher, Koke, Samuel Lino; Griezmann; Julian Alvarez, Sorloth
UNAVAILABLE: Pablo Barrios (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
VALENCIA TEAM NEWS: SO MANY ISSUES
Senior defenders Mouctar Diakhaby and Jose Luis Gaya remain long-term absentees for Valencia and they are joined by Hugo Duro and now the suspended Rafa Mir on the sidelines.
A potentially positive piece of news is that former Brentford, Liverpool and Norwich City winger Sergi Canos is nearing a return to absolute full starting fitness and will be crucial to Ruben Baraja’s 4-4-2 system.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Mamardashvili; Correia, Cesar Tarrega, Cristhian Mosquera, Jesus Vazquez; Diego Lopez, Hugo Guillamon, Pepelu, Luis Rioja; Andre Almeida, Sergi Canos
UNAVAILABLE: Jaume Domenech (Injured), Diakhaby (Injured), Jose Luis Gaya (Injured), Dani Gomez (Injured), Hugo Duro (Injured), Rafa Mir (Suspended)
QUESTIONABLE: Sergi Canos (Injured)
ATLETICO MADRID VS VALENCIA PREDICTION
Atletico Madrid have the firepower now whereby they can simply blow teams away with the ability to bring on the likes of Angel Correa and Rodrigo Riquelme from the bench if they so choose to have them on the bench. Valencia are a bit of a mess both on and off the pitch, albeit that would be a game Atletico slip up in. Surely they won’t this time, though, and backing a home win would be sensible.
ATLETICO MADRID VS VALENCIA TIP: ATLETICO MADRID TO WIN
