Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid welcome Espanyol to the Metropolitano on Saturday evening, with both sides looking to regain momentum in their respective LaLiga campaigns.

Diego Simeone’s men sit fourth in the table with 45 points from 24 matches, while Espanyol occupy sixth position with 35 points.

This encounter carries particular significance as Espanyol manager Manolo González remains unbeaten against Simeone, with two draws and one victory in their three previous meetings.

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news

Atletico Madrid team news

Los Colchoneros face a few injury concerns heading into this fixture. Nicolas Gonzalez remains sidelined with an injury, whilst Pablo Barrios continues his recovery from a right thigh problem that has ruled him out of recent matches.

Additionally, Rodrigo Mendoza is suspended and unavailable for selection after the accumulation of yellow cards. The positive news is that Alex Baena and Jose Maria Gimenez, who picked up minor injuries in recent weeks, have returned to full fitness.

Diego Simeone confirmed earlier this month: “There’s no substitute for Pablo. Johnny’s injury hurts us. The young players who have arrived, Rodrigo and Vargas, are integrating into the group; they’re in the adaptation phase”.

Espanyol team news

The Parakeets arrive at the Metropolitano with their own injury concerns. Captain Javier Puado remains out for the season with a cruciate ligament injury sustained earlier in the campaign.

Fernando Calero is also unavailable, nursing a muscle injury with an expected return date in early March 2026.

However, Espanyol can call upon their leading scorer Pere Milla, who has netted six goals this season and frequently advances from midfield to support the attack.

Form

Atletico Madrid

Simeone’s side has endured a turbulent period, marked by inconsistency across all competitions.

After an impressive 4-0 Copa del Rey triumph over Barcelona on February 12th, Atletico suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to struggling Rayo Vallecano just three days later.

Most recently, they squandered a two-goal advantage in their Champions League playoff against Club Brugge, settling for a frustrating 3-3 draw on February 18th.

Espanyol

The Barcelona-based outfit is experiencing its worst run of the season, failing to secure victory in 2026 after a promising start to the campaign. Espanyol have collected just one point from their last five fixtures, culminating in a 2-2 home draw against Celta Vigo on February 14th. They are also winless in their last seven games.

Predicted lineups

Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Lenglet, Gimenez, Hancko; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Lookman; Baena; Alvarez

Espanyol: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Zarate; Dolan, Terrats, Milla; K Garcia

How to watch Atletico Madrid

UK fans can watch the match live on Disney+.

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