Two teams that finished inside La Liga's top four last season will lock horns at Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday evening, with Atletico Madrid welcoming Girona for an intriguing affair.
An excellent 2023-24 campaign saw Girona claim third in Spain's top flight, five points ahead of fourth-placed Atletico, with both sides preparing to play in the league phase of this season's Champions League.
Match preview
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Atletico lost 10 times in La Liga last season, but they still managed to pick up 76 points to finish fourth in the table, eight points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, to secure Champions League football for 2024-25.
Diego Simeone's side have done some eye-catching transfer business this summer, bringing in Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, while Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata have been among those to move on, so there is a fresh look to the squad this season.
The Red and Whites twice trailed to Villarreal in their La Liga opener on August 19; they answered back on both occasions to pick up a point at Estadio de la Ceramica, but there is no question that the capital outfit will be looking for all three when they host Girona on Sunday.
Atletico had the second-best home record in La Liga last season, picking up 49 points from their 19 matches at home, but Girona were impressive on their travels, boasting the third-best away record in the division.
Simeone's team recorded a 3-1 victory over Girona when the two teams locked horns in the corresponding match last season, but it was the Catalan outfit that triumphed 4-3 in their home fixture earlier in the campaign.
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Girona had a historic 2023-24 campaign, securing their highest-ever finish of third in La Liga to earn qualification for the Champions League this season.
It will be incredibly difficult for the White and Reds to match their heroics from last season, especially considering that they have lost key players in the shape of Artem Dovbyk and Aleix Garcia, but the club have managed to make 10 signings of their own to bolster their squad.
Michel's side fell behind in the sixth minute of their La Liga opener against Real Betis, but Gabriel Misehouy netted on his debut to secure a share of the spoils in Seville.
Girona will now face Osasuna and Sevilla in their final two games ahead of the September international break, and they will then welcome Catalan rivals Barcelona on September 14.
Gironistes are only in their fifth-ever season at this level, which makes their achievements even more remarkable, and they will certainly again be a team to watch in Spain's top tier during the 2024-25 campaign.
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Team News
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Atletico will again be missing Marcos Paulo through injury, but the capital outfit are otherwise in excellent shape, with head coach Simeone having a number of big decisions to make.
It seems likely that there will be changes to the side that started against Villarreal, with Rodrigo De Paul and Jose Gimenez both expected to be introduced into the XI.
Julian Alvarez could make his full debut after appearing off the bench against Villarreal, while fellow new signing Gallagher is expected to be in the squad, with his first appearance for the Red and Whites potentially coming as a substitute.
As for Girona, Yaser Asprilla could be in the squad after completing a move to the club from Watford on Friday, with the 20-year-old potentially featuring among the substitutes.
Jastin Garcia and Ricard Arteto will miss the match through injury, while Valery and Viktor Tsyhankov remain major doubts for the visitors this weekend.
Bryan Gil, Abel Ruiz and Portu should continue as the front three at Wanda Metropolitano, while Oriol Romeu, who is back on loan at the club from Barcelona, is set to feature in central midfield.
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Azpilicueta, Gimenez, Le Normand; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Lino; Griezmann, Sorloth, Alvarez
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; A Martinez, D Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Herrera, Romeu, Martin; Gil, Ruiz, Portu
We say: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Girona
It will be fascinating to see how Girona perform this season due to the increase in expectations, but this is a tricky encounter for the Catalan side. Atletico are generally strong at home, and we are backing Simeone's side to record their first victory of the new La Liga campaign.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
