Atlético Madrid Faces Athletic Club: Unbeaten Start and Squad Intrigue
Atlético Madrid head to San Mamés on Saturday evening carrying the swagger of an unbeaten start and the tension of a squad that has already lived through a restless summer.
Three games in, Diego Simeone’s side sit third in La Liga, seven points on the board, seven goals scored, three conceded. Efficient. Nasty when they need to be. And suddenly a little more expansive than the Atlético of old.
They opened with a routine 2-0 win over Málaga CF at the Metropolitano, stumbled slightly but escaped with a 2-2 draw against Villarreal CF, then sent a message with a 3-1 victory away to Sevilla FC. That last result turned heads. It also sharpened the focus on what this new-look Atlético might become.
Álvarez stays, David arrives, Sørloth out
The trip to Bilbao comes with relatively few injury problems, but plenty of intrigue.
Julián Álvarez is back in the matchday squad. The forward missed recent sessions through illness while rumours of a move to Barcelona raged around him. The speculation is parked for now. He has completed full training this week and is available, giving Simeone another high-class option in the final third.
One major piece is missing, though. Main centre-forward Alexander Sørloth remains out as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury picked up in mid-August. Without his physical presence, Atlético will again have to share the goals around.
Midfielder Obed Vargas is also still sidelined, trimming Simeone’s options in the middle of the pitch.
The coach does, however, gain a fresh attacking weapon. Late-window loan signing Jonathan David has been named in the squad and could make his first appearance in La Liga. A debut at San Mamés is no gentle introduction, but Simeone has never shied away from throwing new signings into the fire.
Le Normand returns to anchor the back line
At the other end of the pitch, Atlético regain a defensive pillar.
Robin Le Normand has served his suspension and is expected to walk straight back into the starting XI. His return should restore a little more calm and authority at the back, essential against an Athletic Club side that rarely allows visiting defenders a quiet evening in Bilbao.
Simeone’s likely lineup reflects that blend of solidity and sharper attacking intent that has defined their opening weeks:
Oblak; Llorente, Hancko, Pubill, Grimaldo; Barrios, Hjulmand; Simeone, Kang-in, Lookman; Baena.
It is a side built to run, to press, to bite into tackles and then break with speed. San Mamés will test every part of that plan.
Kick-off time and how to watch
Athletic Club vs Atlético Madrid kicks off at 3:15pm BST on Saturday, 5th September.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on LALIGATV.
An unbeaten start, a hostile stadium, a squad reshaped but still snarling: this is the kind of early-season fixture that tells you whether Atlético are merely in form, or genuinely ready to chase the title again.
