The La Liga season kicks off for Atletico Madrid as they travel to face Espanyol in what promises to be an exciting opening match. The game is set to take place at the RCDE Stadium in Catalonia and will begin at 1:00 AM IST on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Atletico Madrid, who finished a strong third last season, are looking to get their campaign off to a flying start. Manager Diego Simeone has strengthened his squad significantly over the summer, bringing in new talent to challenge for the league title. The team is determined to close the gap on rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.
On the other side, Espanyol had a tough time last season, just managing to avoid relegation. They will be hoping for a much better performance this year and will look to use their home advantage to cause an early upset.
Espanyol will unfortunately be without their new signing, Javi Hernandez, due to an injury. However, their top scorer from last season, Javi Puado, is fit and expected to lead the attack.
For Atletico Madrid, key defender José María Giménez is a major doubt with a muscle problem. Fans might get to see several new faces make their debut, including midfielder Álex Baena and defender Dávid Hancko, as Simeone looks to integrate his new signings quickly.
Espanyol Predicted Lineup: Garcia, Calero, Romero, Gomez, Hilali, Zarate, Lozano, Puado, Exposito, Roca, Fernandez.
Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineup: Oblak; Ruggeri, Lenglet, Le Normand, Llorente, Baena, Gallagher, Koke, Simeone, Alvarez, Griezmann.
Atletico Madrid has had the upper hand in recent encounters.
While Espanyol will put up a tough fight at home, Atletico Madrid’s superior quality and squad depth make them the clear favorites to win this match. Experts are predicting a comfortable victory for the Madrid side to start their season.
Football fans in India can catch all the action live. The match will be available for live streaming on the FANCODE app and website.
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