How do the Colchoneros react to the Champions League exit?
After Atlético Madrid failed to score a single goal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Manchester City, hardly anyone had the Rojiblancos on their radar. However, the reigning Spanish champions surprised in the second leg and played the Sky Blues, who had been forced into a defensive stance, completely for a half. Only the all-important goal would not come, which sealed their elimination in the end.
Now the Madrilenians have to be back in full force on Sunday in La Liga. Currently, fourth place is wobbling, after all. With Betis Sevilla and Real Sociedad, two teams want to challenge the Colchoneros for the Champions League starting spot. However, in the run-up to the match between Atletico Madrid and Espanyol, the odds are swinging in favour of the Rojiblancos.
However, promoted Espanyol Barcelona have lost only one of their last five league games and are in a solid position after their return to the first division. It was only away from home that the Blanquiazules were usually in trouble. The Catalans won only one of their 15 away matches in league play.
Atletico Madrid – Statistics & current form
Atlético Madrid celebrated winning the Spanish championship for the eleventh time in the club’s history last summer. However, after the Rojiblancos came to the rescue in a year in which both city rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona faltered a few too many times, it is already clear that this brief foray to the top will remain.
After all, with seven matchdays to go in La Liga, Real Madrid are already 15 points behind, which, with 21 points still to be awarded, could only be made up in adventurous bills.
Just one point off fifth place
There is still a lot at stake for the Colchoneros. After all, qualification for the Champions League again is on the line after their elimination against Manchester City in this year’s quarter-finals.
As fourth in the table, Diego Simeone’s men are currently the hunted. With only one point ahead of Betis Sevilla and three points behind Real Sociedad, the Madrilenians cannot afford any more slip-ups. Especially not in their own stadium.
Winless and scoreless in three competitive games
At the same time, the Rojiblancos are basically favoured going into the game.
However, after six wins in a row in La Liga, they suffered another setback just last Saturday in a 1-0 defeat at RCD Mallorca. Coupled with the two Champions League games against the Sky Blues, this means the Colchoneros have been without another treble (one draw, two defeats) and another goal for three competitive games.
Projected line-up of Atletico Madrid:
Oblak – Carrasco – Reinildo – Felipe – Savic – Llorente – Koke – Kondogbia – de Paul – Griezmann – Suárez
Last matches played by Atletico Madrid:
Champions League Final
14/04/2022 – Atletico Madrid 0 – 0 Manchester City
La Liga
09/04/2022 – Mallorca 1 – 0 Atletico Madrid
Champions League Final
06/04/2022 – Manchester City 1 – 0 Atletico Madrid
La Liga
03/04/2022 – Atletico Madrid 4 – 1 Deportivo Alaves
20/03/2022 – Rayo Vallecano 0 – 1 Atletico Madrid
Espanyol – Statistics & current form
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona – RCDE for short – returned to Spain’s top flight last summer as La Liga 2 champions. In the first year after the bitter relegation from the bottom of La Liga, the Periquitos achieved direct promotion.
The club’s managers placed their trust in Vicente Moreno, who was able to lead the Blanquiazules back into the upper echelons of Spanish football. The Catalans have already won ten league games – twice as many as two years ago in the year of their relegation.
Won only one of the 15 league away games
The Periquitos are already eleven points clear of the first relegation spot, meaning that the team, peppered with a number of loan players, can slowly but surely start planning for the coming season in La Liga.
Espanyol Barcelona could even be a lot better in the standings if their home strength had at least occasionally been brought to the pitch away from home. The Blanquiazules celebrated nine of their ten victories this season at home in the RCDE Stadium. Away from home, on the other hand, they have only managed a single victory.
Always scored in 14 of the last 15 league games
Nevertheless, the team from Catalonia travels to the Spanish capital with momentum. Not only has the Moreno eleven won three of their last five league games and picked up ten points out of a possible 15 in that time frame. The Periquitos are also strong finishers.
In 14 of the last 15 league games, the attack around Raúl de Tomás has always scored at least one goal of its own. Accordingly, there is a lot of value to be found in betting on Atletico Madrid against Espanyol that the Blanquiazules will also score at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Predicted line-up of Espanyol:
López – Pedrosa – Cabrera – Calero – Gil – Darder – Bare – Puado – Herrera – Embarba – de Tomás
Last matches played by Espanyol:
La Liga
10/04/2022 – Espanyol 1 – 0 Celta Vigo
05/04/2022 – Real Sociedad 1 – 0 Espanyol
20/03/2022 – Espanyol 1 – 0 Mallorca
12/03/2022 – Levante 1 – 1 Espanyol
05/03/2022 – Espanyol 2 – 0 Getafe
Atletico Madrid – Espanyol Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 91 – 31 – 51
There have been a total of 173 meetings between the two teams so far and with 91 wins, more than half of all duels have gone to the Rojiblancos, who also recorded a 2-1 away win at the Blanquiazules in the first leg and are unbeaten in three duels with Espanyol.
Atletico Madrid – Espanyol Tip
When it comes to Atletico Madrid against Espanyol, the prediction goes clearly in the direction of the home strong Madrilenians, also because of the meagre away record of the Periquitos. However, the Rojiblancos have not won in their last three matches and, above all, have not scored a goal of their own, which is why betting on a win for the Colchoneros is definitely not a foregone conclusion. After all, Espanyol have taken ten points out of a possible 15 from their last five league games.
Accordingly, it is advisable to avoid the three-way system. Considering that the Blanquiazules have always scored in 14 of their last 15 league games, betting on the Catalans to score the away goal makes the most sense.
