Atl. Madrid vs Espanyol prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-08-27 19:30.
[p]Home debuts for big-money signings Julián Alvarez and Conor Gallagher capped off a perfect Sunday evening for AtlĂ©tico Madrid, who cruised to a 3-0 home win over Girona – the side who finished third and directly above them in La Liga last season. With an unbeaten record (W1, D1) after their first two league matches this time around, Simeone would love to see Atleti replicate their matchday three exploits from 12 months ago, when they hammered Rayo Vallecano 7-0![/p]
[p]That came on the road, but it’s re-establishing the Civitas Metropolitano as a fortress that will be top of the agenda for Atlético this term. After a 25-match unbeaten run in home league matches that lasted over 14 months (W23, D2), Atleti lost two of their final five such outings in 2023/24 (W3) as they slumped to their lowest league finish since 2011/12. [/p]
[p]While Espanyol have given a good account of themselves in their opening two games back in the top-flight, a pair of 1-0 defeats means they’ve nothing to show for their efforts. Losing three successive league games without scoring is a fate they’ve not suffered since July 2020, yet their miserable record in away H2Hs (W8, D18, L62) suggests they could be in for a long night in the capital.[/p]
[p]Espanyol were actually victorious on their first visit to the brand-new Metropolitano back in May 2018 (2-0), and they’ve avoided defeat in three of the last five H2Hs at any venue (D3). With both losses in that sequence coming by one-goal margins, boss Manolo González will hope his side can remain solid at the back after it was their defence that ultimately led to relegation in 2022/23, conceding a league-high 69 goals![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Perhaps overshadowed by the superstars around him, Marcos Llorente continues to be a consistent cog in the Atletico machine. He’s the first midfielder to score in their opening two matches of a La Liga season since none other than Simeone in 1995! If Espanyol are to break their duck, they’ll need loanee Alejo Véliz to find his shooting boots, as he’s failed to score from five shots across their first two games.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Atlético have scored before half-time in just one of the last six H2Hs on home soil.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]