Match Preview: Alaves vs. Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid is looking for their first win of the new La Liga season as they travel to take on Alaves at Mendizorrotza Stadium. So far, Diego Simeone's squad has only managed to snag one point from their first two matches, leaving them in a disappointing 14th place. Alaves, on the other hand, is sitting in ninth with three points.
Alaves kicked off their season with a 2-1 win at home against Levante before falling 1-0 to Real Betis. After finishing a nervy 15th last season, just two points above the relegation zone, they'll be hoping for a much better campaign this time around. Interestingly, Alaves has a decent track record against Atletico, having won nine of their last 33 matchups. They've only lost one of their last three games against the capital club, with a 0-0 draw last season and a 2-0 win in the 2023-24 season. In fact, Atletico hasn't won at Alaves since January 2021.
It's been a rough start for Atletico. A 2-1 loss to Espanyol followed by a 1-1 home draw against Elche means they're already playing catch-up to teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid. Despite a summer of big changes with new players joining the team, the balance just hasn't been right. The team, which is expected to finish at least third this season, has been underwhelming. A win against Alaves would definitely help lift spirits, especially with tough matches against Villarreal and Real Madrid coming up soon.
In terms of injuries, Alaves will be without Lucas Boye, while Hugo Novoa and Nikola Maras are questionable. The team might stick with the same lineup that faced Real Betis, as there were plenty of positives to take from that performance. New signing Mariano Diaz will likely start on the bench again, with Toni Martinez leading the attack. For Atletico, Alex Baena and Jose Gimenez are out with injuries. Simeone isn't expected to make many changes, with Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez likely to continue up front. Other options like Conor Gallagher and Antoine Griezmann could come off the bench, but Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada should hold down the wings.
