Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news

Madrid – Atletico Madrid return to the Cívitas Metropolitano on Saturday evening determined to steady a wobbling season when Espanyol visit the capital in LaLiga’s late kick-off.

Diego Simeone’s side occupy the fourth and final Champions League berth with 45 points from 24 fixtures, but confidence has been brittle since the turn of the year. A dazzling 4-0 Copa del Rey rout of Barcelona on 12 February was followed, only three days later, by a chastening 3-0 league loss at struggling Rayo Vallecano. Mid-week, Atletico twice led Club Brugge in their Champions League playoff opener yet were held 3-3, extending a sequence in which they have conceded eight goals in their last three competitive outings.

Team-sheet headaches persist. Winger Nicolás González remains sidelined, midfielder Pablo Barrios is still managing a right-thigh complaint, and defender Rodrigo Mendoza sits out through suspension after accumulating yellow cards. There was better news in Friday’s final training session, however, as both Alex Baena and José María Giménez completed the full programme after recent knocks. Simeone, who lamented earlier this month that “there’s no substitute for Pablo” and that “Johnny’s injury hurts us,” will rely on summer arrivals Rodrigo and Vargas to deepen a squad thin on numbers.

Across the touchline, Espanyol boss Manolo González has proved a thorn in Simeone’s side: across three previous meetings he has yet to lose, posting two draws and one victory. Yet the Catalan club arrives in Madrid at a low ebb. A 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on 14 February left them with a solitary point from their last five league assignments and winless in seven overall. They sit sixth on 35 points, ten adrift of their hosts.

Espanyol’s build-up has been complicated by long-term absences. Captain Javi Puado is out for the campaign after rupturing a cruciate ligament, while centre-back Fernando Calero is not expected back until early March 2026 with a muscle issue. The visitors will lean heavily on top scorer Pere Milla, whose six goals have often come from advanced midfield positions.

Probable line-ups

Atletico Madrid (4-3-3): Oblak; Llorente, Lenglet, Giménez, Hancko; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Lookman; Baena; Álvarez

Espanyol (4-2-3-1): Dmitrović; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Zárate; Dolan, Terrats, Milla; K. García

With both camps desperate for traction, Saturday’s late encounter offers more than three points: for Simeone, a chance to quiet doubters; for González, an opportunity to underline his personal hex over the Argentine coach.

SEO keywords: