Atletico Madrid vs Villarreal Preview – prediction, team news, lineups | LaLiga 2026-27

The Yellow Submarine dominated the proceedings when these sides last met!

Atletico Madrid will go head-to-head against Villarreal for their matchweek 2 fixture of the LaLiga 2026-27 season. The Riyadh Air Metropolitan is going to witness this entertaining outing between these Spanish sides.

Los Colchoneros are coming in after a 2-0 victory against Malaga in their opening fixture. It was a close clash until, the Diego Simeone-led side scored two goals in the second half. They did not allow many chances to their opponents and this was a brilliant approach by them.

Atletico Madrid are going to be at home for their upcoming outing. They will surely be looking to use it to their advantage.

The Yellow Submarine were held to a 2-2 draw by Racing Santander in their opening game of the LaLiga 2026-27 season. They first conceded two goals, but staged a late comeback in the first half by scoring two of their own.

Due to their defensive errors, Inigo Perez’s men were only able to secure one point. Fhey will be pushing for a victory here, but being away from is going to make it a significantly difficult game for them and Villarreal just cannot afford to make the same mistakes against Atleti.

Kick-off

• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Stadium: Riyadh Air Metropolitan
• Date: Sunday, August 23
• Kick-off time: 08:30 PM IST/ 03:00 PM GMT/ 10:30 AM ET/ 07:30 AM PT
• Referee: TBA
• VAR: In Use

Form:

Atletico: W

Villarreal: D

Players to Watch

Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid)

The World Cup winner came from the bench and doubled the lead for Atletico Madrid in their matchup against Malaga. It was a positive performance by Alex Baena and will be eager to come up with one such performance. The 25-year-old will be deploayed on the left flank by Diego Simeone, making him crucial for the hosts.

Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal)

The 31-year-old from Ivory Coast was the standout performer for Villarreal in their 2-2 draw against Racing Santander. He scored an important equaliser in the final moments of the first half and helped the Yellow Submarine secure one point. Nicolas Pepe is going to play an important role both in the midfield and the attacking front for the visitors.

Match Facts

• Ateltico Madrid are now on a two-match winning run.
• Villarreal are unbeaten in their last four games.
• Two of the last five matches between these clubs have ended in a draw.

Betting Tips & Odds

• Atletico Madrid to win @10/11 Ladbrokes
• Goals under 3.5 @3/8 Betway
• Ademola Lookman to score @11/5 Virgin Bet

Injury and Team News

Alexander Sorloth will miss out on action for Atletico Madrid due to a muscle injury.

For Villarreal, Alassane Diatta is not going to be in action as he is suspended. Due to physical discomfort, Sergi Cardona might not be a part of the squad.

Head-to-Head

Matches Played: 50

Atletico (wins): 17

Villarreal (wins): 17

Draws: 16

Predicted Lineups

Atletico Madrid predicted XI (4-4-2)

Oblak (GK); Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Koke, Barrios, Baena; Lee, Lookman

Villarreal predicted XI (4-4-2)

Luiz Junior (GK); Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Romero; Pepe, Gueye, Comesana, Moleiro; Moreno, Mikautadze

Match Prediction

The Diego Simeone-led side looked good in their opening game, but the Yellow Submarine have some defensive concerns to look at.

At Riyadh Air Metropolitan, Atletico Madrid are likely to come out on top and secure a victory against Villarreal CF.

Prediction: Atleti 2-1 Villarreal

Telecast Details

India: FanCode

UK: Disney+, Premier Sports

Spain: Movistar, DAZN and Teledeporte

USA: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes

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