Estadio de la Ceramica is set to host an exciting La Liga clash on Monday evening (Spanish time) as Villarreal welcomes Atletico Madrid in the opening round of the 2024-25 season.
Villarreal finished eighth in La Liga last season, missing out on European competition, while Atletico Madrid secured fourth place, ensuring their participation in the Champions League for yet another campaign.
The Yellow Submarine struggled against Atletico Madrid last season, losing both top-flight encounters. They have only managed one victory in their last 12 La Liga meetings (losing five of them) with Los Colchoneros-a 2-0 win in the Spanish capital in August 2022.
Villarreal's 2023-24 season disappointed, as they failed to secure a top-seven spot for the first time since 2018-19. This marked only the second time they finished outside the top seven since their promotion to La Liga in 2013. The Yellow Submarine's disappointing campaign was mainly due to a sluggish start, with just one win in their first seven home league matches (losing five). They'll be eager to avoid a similar fate this time around.
This season, the Yellow Submarine will be eager to return to European football, bolstered by six new signings, including Nicolas Pepe and Ayoze Perez, who was included in Spain's European Championship-winning squad this summer.
However, the Valencian outfit has also seen notable departures, with last season's top scorer Alexander Sorloth joining Atletico in a high-profile transfer and Denmark U21's goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen moving to Premier League side Chelsea.
Marcelino's squad played six friendlies during the summer, winning just one of them. They ended their pre-season with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
Villarreal will be missing several key players for their La Liga opener against Atletico Madrid - Juan Foyth, Alfonso Pedraza, and Denis Suarez - due to injury. However, new signings Diego Conde, Willy Kambwala, Sergi Cardona, and Pape Gueye are expected to debut, with Gerard Moreno likely to play as a central striker after spending much of last season out wide.
Elsewhere, midfielder Alex Baena and winger Yeremy Pino are also set to start.
Diego Simeone's side, unbeaten away at Villarreal since March 2018, will be aiming to start the new campaign with a statement victory as they set their sights on challenging for the title this season.
Simeone will be keen to ensure his squad is fully focused on the pitch as they seek to bounce back from an underwhelming campaign that saw them finish outside La Liga's top three for the first time since 2011-12.
Los Colchoneros finished fourth last term, trailing champions Real Madrid by a whopping 19 points. Bridging the 19-point gap between last season's champions and arch-rivals Real Madrid is the ultimate goal, but Atletico must drastically improve their away form, having collected just 27 points on their travels last season - which was the fifth-best away record in La Liga.
However, with strong summer signings, including Robin Le Normand, Julian Alvarez, and Sorloth, Atletico Madrid will be targeting at least a top-three finish this time around.
Despite these reinforcements, Atletico's transfer window hasn't been entirely smooth, with the club entangled in a protracted saga involving Chelsea over the futures of Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix. Yet, a move for England's midfielder Conor Gallagher is also reportedly close to completion.
Meanwhile, Atletico's notable departures include recognizable figures like Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso, Saul Niguez, Memphis Depay, and Alvaro Morata, but their pre-season form has been quite impressive, highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Serie A giants Juventus in their final friendly, with goals from Joao Felix and Angel Correa.
It's yet to be seen whether Julian Alvarez is ready to make his full debut after his big-money move from Premier League champions Manchester City, possibly alongside Sorloth in attack. The Norwegian, who netted 26 goals for Villarreal last season, could return to haunt his former club in this match.
Even though Joao Felix scored in the last pre-season friendly victory, his expected departure before the transfer window closes means the Portuguese forward is unlikely to feature. Thus, Antoine Griezmann is set to lead the line, with Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, and Marcos Llorente likely to start in the middle.
The Villarreal faithful might temper their expectations, as the team has only managed one opening-day victory in their last nine campaigns (1-5-3 record). Adding to their concerns is their recent record against Atletico Madrid at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where they have failed to win any of the last six encounters (four draws and two defeats) between them.
The summer departures of goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and top scorer Alexander Sørloth, who joined their opponents, further compound the challenges facing the Yellow Submarine's crew.
Overall, Atletico Madrid's recent record against Villarreal, including a 2-1 win in their previous meeting last season (in April), suggests another close contest, with Sorloth or Alvarez potentially making the difference. We anticipate a similar outcome on Monday in favor of Diego Simeone's side.
