At 3:30 am on August 26th, the Wanda Metropolitano will host a key clash in the second round of the new La Liga season as Atletico Madrid welcome Girona. This is a matchup between two of last season’s top four, with Girona having impressed and finished third, five points ahead of Atletico, both securing Champions League qualification for this season.
Despite suffering 10 defeats last season, Atletico still secured fourth place with a total of 76 points, finishing eight points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao and securing Champions League qualification. During the summer window, Atletico signed several quality players, including Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, Robin Le Normand, and Alexander Sørloth, while bidding farewell to key figures like João Félix and Álvaro Morata. The squad has undergone a significant upgrade.
In their La Liga opener, Atletico twice fell behind against Villarreal but twice fought back to draw. Returning home to face Girona, they will be aiming for a victory to start the season with a win. Notably, Atletico’s home record last season was second only to Barcelona, while Girona had the third-best away record in La Liga.
Looking back at last season’s encounters, Atletico won 3-1 at home against Girona, but lost 3-4 away.
Girona achieved their best-ever finish last season, finishing in the top three of La Liga for the first time and qualifying for the Champions League. Although they lost core players like Artem Dovbyk and Alex Garcia, they have strengthened their squad with 10 new signings and remain a force to be reckoned with.
In the opening round of La Liga, Girona fell behind against Real Betis but salvaged a draw thanks to Gabriel Míguez’s goal. Their upcoming schedule includes matches against Osasuna, Sevilla, and a clash against Barcelona on September 15th.
On Atletico’s side, Marcos Paulo will continue to miss out due to injury, but the rest of the squad is in good shape. Diego Simeone is expected to make changes to the starting lineup, with Rodrigo de Paul and José Giménez likely to start, while new signing Julian Alvarez could make his debut and Gallagher is in line for a place on the bench.
Girona’s newest signing, Yaser Asprilla, who recently arrived from Watford, may be included on the bench. However, Justin García and Ricard Artero will miss the game due to injury, while the availability of Valery and Viktor Tsygankov is uncertain. Bryan Gil, Álex Baena, and Christian Stuani are expected to form the attacking trio, with Oriol Romeu playing a key role in midfield.
Girona carries higher expectations this season, but their trip to face Atletico is undoubtedly a tough challenge. Considering Atletico’s consistent strength at home, they are likely to win their first victory in La Liga this season.
The expected starting lineups are as follows:
Atletico Madrid: Jan Oblak / César Azpilicueta, José Giménez, Robin Le Normand / Marcos Llorente, Rodrigo de Paul, Koke, Lino Flamengo / Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sørloth, Julian Alvarez
Girona: Sergio Gazzaniga / Alex Martínez, Dani López, Daley Blind, Marc Gutiérrez / Javier Herrera, Oriol Romeu, Samuel Sáiz / Bryan Gil, Álex Baena, Christian Stuani
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