Villarreal CF host Atlético de Madrid on Monday evening in La Liga opener
Villarreal CF and Atlético de Madrid kick off the new La Liga season on Monday evening, 19 August, at 20:30 (GMT+1) at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The Yellow Submarine, who disappointed with an eighth-place finish last season, will be looking to cause an upset at home against an Atlético de Madrid side eager to bounce back from their lowest league finish in twelve years.
Villarreal looking to recover after worst season in years
Last season saw Villarreal CF endure their poorest La Liga campaign since 2018-19, finishing eighth. Their ambition for the new season is clear: return to European football. To back up that goal, the club brought in six new players over the summer. The most notable arrivals are defender Willy Kambwala, signed from Manchester United for €10 million, and Ayoze Pérez, who joined for €4 million from Real Betis. Nicolas Pépé also put pen to paper on a free transfer following his spell at Turkish side Trabzonspor. However, the club also suffered some painful departures. Top scorer Alexander Sørloth, who netted 26 league goals last season, left for €32 million to join Monday evening's opponents Atlético de Madrid. Goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen made the move to Chelsea for €25 million. Manager Marcelino García Toral will therefore begin the new season with a refreshed, yet significantly reshaped squad. The omens for the home side are not entirely encouraging, though. Villarreal have failed to win any of their last six home La Liga matches against Atlético de Madrid. Their pre-season preparations were also underwhelming, yielding just one win from four friendlies, with a 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion as the low point. Marcelino is expected to deploy a 4-3-3 system, with Yéremi Pino, Arnaut Danjuma and Alejandro Baena leading the attack.
Atlético de Madrid aim to reassert title credentials under Simeone
At Atlético de Madrid, Diego Simeone is entering his thirteenth full season as head coach, making him the longest-serving manager in La Liga. The 54-year-old Argentine guided the Colchoneros to a fourth-place finish last year — the club's lowest league position in twelve years. That it was deemed unacceptable at Atlético de Madrid was made abundantly clear by an exceptionally busy transfer window. The most headline-grabbing signing is undoubtedly Julián Álvarez, prised away from Manchester City for €75 million. Defender Robin Le Normand bolstered the backline for €35 million, arriving from Real Sociedad. Alexander Sørloth, the prolific striker who departed Villarreal, was also brought in for €32 million. The potential addition of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher remains a possibility. On the other side of the ledger, Álvaro Morata left the club for €13 million to join AC Milan, where he scored on his debut. The visitors travel to the Estadio de la Cerámica in confident mood: Atlético de Madrid have won the last two league meetings between the sides. Simeone is considering a 3-4-2-1 formation, with new signing Julián Álvarez handed a central role in attack.
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Source: Sportmonks
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