Real Madrid will be looking for their first win of the La Liga season when they host Real Valladolid.
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Atletico Madrid vs Girona odds
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Atletico Madrid vs Girona predictions
It has been an eventful summer at Atletico Madrid. The club has splashed out close to €150m on Julian Alvarez, Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, with another €40m earmarked for the soon-to-be-completed acquisition of Conor Gallagher.
Atletico are on the verge of finally getting Joao Felix off the books on a permanent basis, while Stefan Savic, Memphis Depay, Mario Hermoso, Alvaro Morata and Saul Niguez (on loan initially) have all departed since the end of last season.
Having finished fourth last season, behind not only Real Madrid and Barcelona but also this weekend’s opponents Girona, Atletico look to be gearing up for another title challenge.
Diego Simeone has already led the club from the capital to La Liga glory on two occasions, but the Argentine is not done yet. Even after almost 13 years on the Atletico touchline, from the Estadio Vicente Calderon to the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, Simeone’s hunger is undiminished.
Is a title tilt realistic? Atletico have plenty of ground to make up. Last season was the first time they finished outside the top three since 2011/12.
Atletico were uncharacteristically easy to play against away from home, losing eight times on the road. They also conceded 46 goals – not a huge amount at first glance, but it made for their joint-worst defensive record of the Simeone era if we exclude his first half-season in the job.
The squad certainly looks stronger with the additions of Le Normand, Alvarez and Sorloth. The latter duo will take some of the pressure off Antoine Griezmann in attack. At the back, Le Normand should slot in nicely on the left-hand side of Atletico’s three-man defence.
Atletico kick-started their campaign with a 2-2 draw with Villarreal. They twice went behind at El Madrigal, with Marcos Llorente and Sorloth each grabbing an equaliser.
A trip to Villarreal followed by a home game against Girona, last season’s surprise package, represents a tough start to the season for Atletico, who will nonetheless be targeting all three points on Sunday.
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Atletico Madrid vs Girona betting tips
Atletico Madrid and Girona will go head-to-head in the standout fixture of the La Liga weekend.
Atletico Madrid to win and under 2.5 goals – 11/5 (kwiff)
Girona were one of the stories of the European season in 2023/24 and it will be intriguing to see how they fare this time around.
A 1-1 draw with Real Betis in gameweek one got them off the mark and they now face another away game as their home ground undergoes redevelopment work ahead of their participation in the Champions League.
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For all that they had a mixed record on their travels last term, Atletico were generally excellent at home. Only Real Madrid picked up more points in front of their own fans and Simeone will want to see more of the same this season.
The long-serving Argentine (in Europe’s top five leagues only Heidenheim boss Frank Schmidt, appointed in 2007, has been in situ for longer than Simeone) will also be keen for a return to the defensive grit and resolve for which his early Atletico sides were famed.
Goals could be in short supply here, then, but the hosts are likely to do enough to win.
⚽ Back Atletico Madrid to win and under 2.5 goals at 11/5 with kwiff ⚽
Draw at half-time – 5/4 (kwiff)
It was always going to be difficult for Girona to replicate last season’s top-four finish, but their task has been made even tougher after several significant summer departures.
Artem Dovbyk, last season’s top scorer, has joined Serie A side Roma. Aleix Garcia has also sought pastures new, while former loanees like Savio, Eric Garcia and Yan Couto are no longer part of Michel’s squad.
Yet Girona demonstrated they can still be competitive in gameweek one. We should not read too much into one match, of course, but a 1-1 draw at Real Betis was a decent result for a team that has lost some key pieces.
Girona only lost seven matches last term, so they showed they are capable of digging in. That quality should not leave them despite the aforementioned losses.
Do not be surprised if the score is level at the interval.
⚽ Go for a draw at half-time at 5/4 with kwiff ⚽
Alexander Sorloth to score any time – 10/11 (kwiff)
Sorloth has had a strange career.
The Norway international failed to make any sort of impact during an ill-fated stint at Crystal Palace, but he was a revelation on loan at Trabzonspor.
His performances in Turkey persuaded RB Leipzig to sign him, but Sorloth managed just six goals in 38 games for the German outfit.
He was much more effective at Villarreal last term, finding the back of the net 26 times in all competitions.
Sorloth struck against his old club last weekend and he will now be looking to get off the mark in his first home game for Atletico.
⚽ Tip Alexander Sorloth to score any time at 10/11 with kwiff ⚽
📺 How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Girona
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
- Date and time: Sunday 25th August, 4pm
- How to watch: Premier Sports 1
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About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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