Atletico Madrid vs Eibar 15/09/18

15 September 2018

Atletico Madrid are set to host Eibar at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano seeking a victory that may just help them to outbalance the surprisingly slow start of the new campaign.

After making a few high-profile signings during the summer and winning the Spanish Super Cup thanks to a 4-2 win over Real Madrid, it seemed that Diego Simeone’s team could challenge Los Blancos and Barcelona for La Liga title this year. However, Los Colchoneros have played out a 1-1 draw with Valencia at the Estadio de Mestalla before barely defeating Rayo Vallecano at home, by a narrow 1-goal margin. On the eve of the international break, Los Rojiblancos have suffered a frustrating 2-0 loss against Celta Vigo on the road, which saw them trailing the two most prominent Spanish sides by five points. In case Simeone fails to achieve all three points against the struggling visitors, he may already find his side out of the title race.

Los Armeros, on the other hand, are destined for a relegation battle this year if judging on their so far performance. In the first two races, José Luis Mendilibar suffered two rather discouraging defeats, to Huesca and Getafe, conceding four goals in the process. Still, the Azulgranas unexpectedly outclassed Real Sociedad, clinching a significant 2-1 win in front of the home crowd, which could positively influence their confidence level ahead of a trip to Madrid, where they never managed to wrap up a triumph.

Santiago Arias, Juanfran, and Vitolo will have to support their teammates from the stands after picking up different types of injuries, while Iván Ramis, Pedro León, and Kike won’t be able to perform for the visitors.