Two of Spain’s biggest clubs will lock horns in gameweek four of the La Liga season.
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Atletico Madrid vs Valencia odds
Find the latest match odds for Atletico Madrid vs Valencia. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed online football bookies. Odds are subject to change.
⚡Quick Atletico Madrid vs Valencia betting tips
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia predictions
There was a time when Valencia were established as the best team in Spain outside of the big two of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Los Che even bested that powerful duo on occasion. In both 2001/02 and 2003/04, Rafael Benitez’s side won the La Liga title. That came after two consecutive Champions League final appearances under Hector Cuper.
In the late 1990s to the first half of the 2000s, Valencia were one of the strongest sides in Europe, never mind Spain.
There has not been as much to cheer about recently, though. Under the ownership of the increasingly unpopular Peter Lim, Valencia have been unable to challenge at the top of the division. That is an affront to supporters who genuinely see their club as one of Spain’s giants.
In each of 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11, before Lim had taken the reins at Mestalla, Valencia finished third in La Liga.
It was at the end of that period, in December 2011, that Atletico Madrid made a decision that would change the club’s history: they appointed Diego Simeone as their next manager.
The former midfielder, who represented Atletico among others during a distinguished playing career, went on to in effect displace Valencia as the best of the rest behind Barca and Madrid.
So while Atletico have won two La Liga titles and reached two Champions League finals under Simeone, Valencia have floundered. They finished as low as 16th in 2022/23 after flirting with relegation for part of the campaign.
Los Che improved sufficiently to finish in the top half last term, but a ninth-place berth was still far below the club’s potential. For Valencia fans, the priority is to find a new buyer after a decade of stagnation at best under Lim, who is also the part-owners of Salford City.
In the more immediate term, Valencia could desperately do with a win this weekend. After a return of one point from a possible 12, they are bottom of the table at the time of writing. It is not ideal preparation for a game against the third-best side in Spain.
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia betting tips
Atletico Madrid take on Valencia as La Liga returns following the pause for the Nations League in Europe.
Atletico Madrid to win to nil – 10/11 (bet365)
With Barcelona boasting a 100 percent record after four rounds of fixtures in La Liga, Atletico Madrid will not want to fall much further adrift of top spot in the coming weeks.
Simeone’s side are still unbeaten, but victories over Girona and Athletic Bilbao were somewhat offset by draws with Villarreal and Espanyol.
By the time this game kicks off on Sunday evening, Atletico could easily be seven points shy of the summit of the standings.
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It is still incredibly early in the season, of course, but Simeone’s team have been punished for poor starts to the campaign in the past.
There was a sense in Atletico getting back to basics in their 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao before the international break.
With Valencia low on confidence after a poor opening, Atletico can keep a third consecutive clean sheet here.
⚽ Back Atletico Madrid to win to nil at 10/11 with bet365 ⚽
Under 2.5 goals – 10/11 (bet365)
Atletico Madrid began the campaign with an entertaining 2-2 draw with Villarreal, before an impressive 3-0 victory over Girona.
But their last two outings featured a grand total of one goal, scored by Angel Correa in second-half stoppage time to win the game against Athletic Bilbao.
There is no shortage of attacking quality available to Simeone, but the manager remains more defence-minded than many of his peers.
Moreover, Atletico regenerated the front part of the team over the summer and it could take a few weeks before a degree of familiarity has bedded in.
Having begun the season so poorly, Valencia’s priority will be keeping things tight at the back and staying in the game for as long as possible. This might not be a goal-fest.
⚽ Tip under 2.5 goals at 10/11 with bet365 ⚽
Julian Alvarez to score any time – 6/4 (bet365)
Atletico Madrid splashed the cash in the summer, spending up to £82m on Julian Alvarez from Manchester City.
It was a statement of intent from the Colchoneros, who replaced Alvaro Morata with a younger model.
Alvarez is yet to open his account for his new team, but it is only a matter of time before he does so. In fact, the Argentina international will fancy his chances of scoring his first Atletico goal this weekend.
Alvarez has had a few games to get used to his team-mates and he was on target for his country against Chile in the international break.
Against a Valencia backline that is struggling to keep the goals out, Alvarez would be a wise pick to find the back of the net.
⚽ Choose Julian Alvarez to score any time at 6/4 with bet365 ⚽
📺 How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Valencia
- Location: Estadio Civitas Metropolitano,
- Date and time: Sunday 8th September, 8pm.
- 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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