Atletico Madrid vs Villarreal
Believe it or not, Atletico Madrid are closer to relegation than to potentially breaking the Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly, as they’re off to a rough start this 2025-26 campaign. With only two points in their first three matches, Los Rojiblancos are 17th in the La Liga standings.
Diego Simeone’s men lost 2-1 to Espanyol in their opener, which was followed by back-to-back 1-1 draws against Elche and Alaves. Many argue that they should’ve won those matches, which would’ve put them momentarily at the top of the pile. And it’ll only get harder for Atletico Madrid, as they’ll host an upwardly mobile Villarreal this Saturday night at Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Villarreal are third in the Spanish top-flight standings with seven points after winning 2-0 against Oviedo, 5-0 against Girona, and drawing 1-1 against Celta Vigo. Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side is keen to extend their undefeated streak to tack on more points.
Talking Points
Key absences for Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are expected to miss up to three key players against Villarreal, which doesn’t help head coach Diego Simeone.
Alex Baena has yet to make his Los Rojiblancos debut, as he is still recovering from appendicitis. Jose Maria Gimenez continues to deal with his hamstring injury that kept him out of the preseason. Thiago Almada is considered a doubt after he picked up a leg injury while playing for Argentina during the international break. These three absences should open up more playing time for Conor Gallagher, Giuliano Simeone, and Clement Lenglet.
Holding on to leads has been Atletico Madrid’s Achilles heel in their first three games this season. After scoring the first goal against Espanyol, Elche, and Alaves, they would concede the equaliser (and in Espanyol’s case, also the matchwinner), causing them to drop points.
Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, and Giuliano Simeone have found the back of the net for Los Rojiblancos, which is good. However, they’ll need more production from others, including Antoine Griezmann, Giacomo Raspadori, and Pablo Barrios.
Mikautadze could make his Villarreal debut
In contrast, Villarreal are off to a brisk start, as their summer additions have kicked on. Etta Eyong, who arrived on a free transfer, opened his account against Oviedo. Tajon Buchanan scored his first hat-trick, and Rafa Marin also scored his first goal against Girona.
Their exploits have helped the Yellow Submarine stay afloat even without their best attacker, Ayoze Perez, who has yet to feature this term due to an adductor injury. The 32-year-old forward, who scored 22 times last season, remains a huge doubt for the Atletico Madrid contest.
Villarreal fans also hope that Georges Mikautadze will kick on in his debut. The 24-year-old striker is the team’s latest addition, and the team paid a club record €30 million to Lyon for his services, making him the first Georgian international to wear the Yellow Submarine shirt.
History
Atletico Madrid have not lost any of their last five La Liga matches against Villarreal (W2, D3), although they have drawn their last two. Los Rojiblancos never had three straight draws against the Yellow Submarine in the Spanish top-flight. But Villarreal have picked up points in eight of their last 11 La Liga away games against Atletico Madrid (W3, D5, L3).
As mentioned, Atletico Madrid are without a victory in their first three La Liga matches this season (D2, L1), their worst start since a run of five in 2009-10 under former manager Abel Resino (D3, L2). They have also conceded at least one goal in each of their last eight matches against Villarreal.
Villarreal are unbeaten in their last nine La Liga games (W8, D1) and have not gone 10 or more without defeat in the Spanish top-flight since December 2020 under former manager Unai Emery (W5, D7).
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP La Liga 2025 odds expect Atletico Madrid to break their duck this Saturday. Los Rojiblancos are pegged to win at 1.91, while the Yellow Submarine are at 3.53, and a draw is at 3.41 in the 1X2 market. However, this doesn’t take into account the contrasting recent forms between these two sides, with the visitors having the edge.
Football fans at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano should expect to see goals and La Liga 2025 highlights from both sides, hence our recommended bet above. Bettors may also consider adding Over 2.50 at 1.72 and Over 2.75 at 1.95 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of their last league meeting – has a decent payday of 6.80 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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