Atl. Madrid vs Villarreal prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2022-08-20 17:30.
AtlĂ©tico Madrid made a strong start to the new La Liga (LL) campaign, securing a 3-0 victory away to Getafe. Their preparations coming into this week though have been far from ideal with clubs such as Manchester United showing heavy interest in some of their key stars like JoĂŁo FĂ©lix and Yannick Carrasco. Manager Diego Simeone will hope those distractions wonât derail his sideâs bid to extend their unbeaten run in Spainâs top tier to six matches (W4, D1).
Having not lost any of their last eight LL games against Villarreal (W3, D5), you could make a case for saying they represent an ideal opponent to continue that undefeated streak. However Simeone could be alarmed by his sideâs recent inability to turn more of the H2H clashes between the two at home into wins – AtlĂ©tico have won just two of the last eight LL meetings in front of their home fans (D4, L2).
Coincidentally, Villarreal also kickstarted their new season with a 3-0 away win over Real Valladolid. They then followed that up with a 4-2 victory at home to Hajduk Split in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night. Manager Unai Emery praised his players in the wake of that success, although he was also quick to point out that "in La Liga we can improveâ before setting out their ambitions to better last seasonâs seventh-place finish.
While fatigue could come into play here having played an extra game than their hosts, Villarrealâs record on the road has been strong in recent times. Theyâve won each of their last three LL road trips, scoring an impressive ten goals in the process, and another win here for the Yellow Submarine would see them secure four straight away league wins for the first time since July 2020.
Players to watch: AtlĂ©ticoâs wanted man FĂ©lix became just the third Portuguese player in the 21st century to provide three assists in a single LL game (against Getafe). Back from his season-long loan, Villarrealâs Ălex Baena started with a bang, netting two late goals from the bench in last weekâs win at Valladolid.
Hot stat: Emery is winless in 15 consecutive personal H2H matches against Atlético (D7, L8), with his side conceding exactly two goals in each of the last three meetings in that run.