October 20, 2024. 5:15 p.m. Madrid. “Metropolitano” Stadium.
La Liga 2024-25. Day 10
Atletico Madrid vs Leganes
Watch on: RAINBOWVolia TV
Suspensions : None
Injured: Robin Le Norman, Marcos Llorente (both – Atletico)
Uncertain : Cesar Azpilicueta (Atletico)
Threatened with suspension: Valentin Rozie (Leganes)
Atletico
Diego Simeone’s renewed team has started the new season well. Although there were a few hiccups, such as a 2-2 draw against Villarreal and a dismal scoreless draw at home to Espanyol, Atletico generally showed a good level of play. After the September international break , they easily beat Valencia 3-0 at home, followed by an emotional victory against RB Leipzig in their first Champions League match this season, winning 2-1.
However, it was hard to imagine that Atletico would only manage one win in their last five matches, with that win being a narrow 1-0 against Celta Vigo, thanks to a late goal from Julian Alvarez then that Atletico had been dominated throughout the match. Before that, they earned a lackluster 1-1 draw in a derby against Rayo Vallecano, then miraculously snatched a point with another 1-1 at home to Real Madrid. In their first match of October, Atletico suffered their first defeat of the season, a humiliating 0-4 loss to Benfica in Lisbon. Subsequently, Simeone’s side came close to another undeserved away victory, leading 1-0 at San Sebastián, but ultimately had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad.
Leganes
The Peppineros have made a decent start to the season, picking up five points from their first three matches since returning to the top flight. On the road, Borja Jimenez’s side earned draws against Osasuna and Valladolid, while at home they beat Las Palmas with a solid 2-1 win. However, this victory on the second day remains their only one to date. At the end of August, they narrowly lost to Mallorca (0-1), and after a two-week break, they suffered two consecutive 0-2 defeats against Betis away and Atletico at home. , Butarque.
However, the Peppineros managed to end their losing streak. Their last three matches ended in goalless draws. Initially, Borja Jimenez’s side narrowly avoided defeat at the Coliseum against Getafe, followed by a surprising draw at Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano, and before the October international break, Leganes settled for a dismal goalless draw at home to Valencia, marking their second game without conceding a goal this season.
Atletico vs Leganes : Planned compositions
Atletico will be without injured players Robin Le Norman and Marcos Llorente, both key members of the team. The participation of experienced defender Cesar Azpilicueta remains uncertain, as does that of several South American internationals who returned to training later than others under coach El Cholo Simeone. On the other hand, Leganes approaches this match with a fully recovered squad.
Atletico vs Leganes : Author’s prediction
In the last four seasons that Leganes have spent in La Liga, the Peppineros have managed to take points from Simeone’s side once per season. This happened three times in Butarque and once in Metropolitano. It’s also worth noting that Leganes have failed to score against Atletico in seven of their last eight meetings, and they have never won. It’s likely they won’t win this time either. Plus, it seems likely they won’t score again. Although Atletico usually struggle in matches following international breaks, they are bound to secure a win against this opponent, if only for the sake of class.
