Atletico Madrid Fight Back Twice to Earn Point in La Liga Opener Against Villarreal
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid began their La Liga campaign with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Villarreal on Monday. The Rojiblancos, who revamped their squad over the summer after finishing fourth last season, had to settle for a point at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, twice coming from behind.
Alvaro Morata, Stefan Savic, Memphis Depay, and others have departed, while Atletico brought in Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, and Robin Le Normand, who all made their debuts. The latter two started on Spain’s east coast, with Norwegian striker Sorloth scoring the goal that earned his team a point.
“I think we played a good game. We had some individual areas where we need to improve, but as a group, we were committed,” said Simeone.
Villarreal Take Early Lead
Villarreal took the lead through Arnaut Danjuma in the 18th minute. The forward, starting his team’s La Liga opener after loan spells at Tottenham and Everton, beat Axel Witsel for pace to run onto a pass, then worked some space to squeeze a low shot across the goal into the far corner.
Atletico Respond Quickly
Atletico responded instantly, scoring just over a minute later when Antoine Griezmann played in Marcos Llorente, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
Villarreal Take Advantage of Oblak Error
Samuel Lino hit the post for the visitors before Villarreal moved ahead again when Jan Oblak failed to claim a cross, and the ball bounced in off the unfortunate Koke.
Sorloth Levels the Score
Atletico levelled through Sorloth, who nodded home against his former side in first-half stoppage time. His header squirmed under goalkeeper Diego Conde, who should have kept it out.
Second Half Evenly Contested
Former Manchester City striker Alvarez, who signed for an estimated 85 million euros (£72 million), made his Atletico debut in the final stages, with the second half evenly contested.
Late Chances
New Villarreal signing Nicolas Pepe hit the crossbar with a looping free-kick late on, but the teams could not be separated.
Mixed Reactions After the Match
“We conceded very quickly, too easily, and that gives you an uphill struggle.
“We got back level, which is the hard part, but then let in another goal. When you concede two, it’s very hard to turn the game around, and we didn’t do it today,” Atletico midfielder Llorente told Movistar.
A Look at the Other Side
However, it was the locals who scored first when forward Arnaut Danjuma beat defender Axel Witsel to collect a long pass from Alcoado and netted from close range in the 18th minute.
Atletico hit back quickly on the counter-attack two minutes later when Marcos Llorente sped unmarked into the box and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner of the net.
Lino hit the post in the 35th minute and Villarreal took advantage of a bad mistake by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he failed to clear a cross in the 37th minute and the ball deflected off the back of Atletico captain Koke and into the net.
Forward Alexander Sorloth, making his debut for Atletico after an outstanding season for Villarreal as their top scorer, found the equaliser with a towering header six minutes into first-half added time from a Pablo Barrios cross from the right touchline.
In fierce, summer temperatures at La Ceramica on the east coast of Spain, both sides took it easier in the second half and the match lost the relentless intensity it had seen early on.
Neither side got a shot on target after the break, with Villarreal substitute Nicolas Pepe having the best chance from a free kick and hitting the crossbar in the 82nd minute.
It was a lacklustre debut for Argentina forward Julian Alvarez who came off the bench to play the last 15 minutes but had little time to show why Atletico paid Manchester City more than 75 million euros ($83.15 million) for his services.
Looking Forward
Atletico will make their home debut on Sunday against last season's surprise package Girona while Villarreal will play their second game of the season at Sevilla on Friday.
A Look at the Betting Odds
Monday provides us with the pick of the weekend’s fixtures – here are our Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid predictions.
We predict Atletico Madrid to win by a scoreline of 2-0.
This is an opportunity for Alexander Sorloth against his former team. Atletico splashed the cash on the Scandinavian earlier this summer after he top-scored for Villarreal last term. It’s been a busy transfer window for the Yellow Submarine, with a raft of first-team players departing.
Atletico have been busy over the last few months beyond the Sorloth acquisition. Julian Alvarez could prove to be one of the signings of the summer, while Robin Le Normand is a marquee addition to the back line.
Atleti are aiming to close the gap to the top two teams after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. The squad has been significantly overhauled over the last couple of years, and this fixture will be a real test of their credentials as the new campaign begins.
Villarreal have some work to do if they are to return to the top six. Their expected goal difference was mid-table last season, and only two teams conceded more goals. Time will tell if they have done enough this summer to be properly competitive and compete for Champions League qualification.
Team Lineups
Villarreal probable XI:
Conde; Foyth, Albiol, Bailly, Alti; Comesana, Parejo, Terrats; Pepe, G Moreno, Akhomach.
Atletico Madrid probable XI:
Oblak; Azpilicueta, Le Normand, Reinildo; Llorente, Vermeeren, Koke, Lemar, Lino; Sorloth, Correa.
Analysis of the Teams
The start of a new season means we’ve got no form book to go on. The summer’s transfer business is the main focus when we come into a new campaign like this, and it’s clear Atletico have had the more satisfying transfer window thus far.
Despite finishing outside the top three for the first time since 2012, Atletico were comfortably the third-best team in the league by their expected goal difference. Villarreal had a mediocre campaign with a worse expected goal difference than Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca.
Atleti have had a very strong record in this fixture over the last few seasons, and we find it hard to look past an away win here. The favourites won four of their final five away fixtures in 2023-24, and should be able to extend that good run in this one.
Betting Predictions
Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid Bet 1: Atletico to win @2.12 with Betway
Only Artem Dovbyk scored more goals than Alexander Sorloth last season. Yes, Sorloth’s underlying metrics were nothing to get too excited about (18th in expected goals), but he fired off 2.3 shots per match, which was only bettered by seven players in the league.
His run at the end of last season was spectacular. The Norwegian scored in six of his last 10 appearances for club and country, including four goals against Real Madrid and a brace in a win over Sevilla.
Sorloth was unstoppable earlier this year and has been able to rest over the summer. He’s going to lead the line for Atletico on Monday night, with a chance to dominate his former team after a poor defensive season for the Yellow Submarine. With the quality around him, we’re backing Sorloth to be even more productive this season than he was in 2023-24.
Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid Bet 2: Alexander Sorloth to score anytime @2.19 with Betway
We expect a vintage away performance from Atletico. Villarreal are lacking a cutting edge in the final third after losing Sorloth, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the hosts get shut out on Monday night.
Atletico will be typically well-organised. Their defence has been bolstered by the signing of Robin Le Normand, plus Diego Simeone will want to pack the midfield in an effort to stifle Villarreal.
Given Atleti’s style of play and Simeone’s knack for grinding out results away from home, we are surprised to see a price of 2.10 on under 2.5 goals. While both teams were in plenty of high-scoring matches last season, this has the makings of a cagey early-season match.
Concluding Thoughts
The match was a captivating affair, showcasing the resilience of Atletico Madrid and the attacking prowess of Villarreal. The draw sets the stage for an exciting La Liga season, with both teams looking to make their mark in the upcoming campaign.
