Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Match Preview & Prediction

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol predictions, H2H and match preview for this Sunday’s clash in La Liga. Read on for analysis and predicted line-ups as both sides return to league action following European games in midweek.

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Preview

This match features two sides who endured contrasting fortunes in midweek. Atletico Madrid were beaten in Leverkusen in a blow to their hopes of a successful season in the Champions League. Espanyol meanwhile scored six as they secured Europa League progress into the knockout stage but it does little to detract from their increasingly desperate need for points in La Liga.

Atleti will be expecting to add to their woes here despite a poor record against Espanyol in recent seasons. Diego Simeone’s side have their own problems and are averaging just one goal per game in La Liga this term. The likes of Real Valladolid, Granada, Osasuna, Eibar and Levante have all scored more. In recent games, their inspiration has come from a relatively unlikely source with Angel Correa making such an impact that he may continue to keep Diego Costa out of the side here. The Argentine is the only Atleti player to have created more than one goal in La Liga this season.

Espanyol meanwhile don’t have a single player who has netted more than once. They matched their season tally for league goals in one night on Thursday in the Europa League, a competition where 8 of their 10 competitive wins this term have come. If there is a small glimmer of hope for them here, it comes in the fact that all of their 8 league points have been won on their travels.

Pablo Machin has so far failed to stem the flow of defeats at the RCDE Stadium in the league. There have been tentative signs of improvement overall but nothing really that suggests they are going to go to the Wanda Metropolitano and cause an upset.

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Predictions

Score Prediction: 2-0 Atleti

Atleti’s goalscoring record is a poor one but with Morata finding a bit of form and Angel Correa offering something a bit different, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. They should be too strong for an Espanyol side that looks in real relegation trouble with their European wins against relatively weak opposition only papering over the considerable cracks.

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol H2H

• Last 6 competitive meetings: 2 Atleti Wins, 3 Espanyol Wins, 1 Draw.
• Espanyol have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between the sides in La Liga.
• The last 6 league meetings in Madrid have produced a total of just 7 goals.
• Atleti have won 4 of those games to nil including a 1-0 victory in this fixture last term.

Predicted Line Ups

Atletico Madrid Team:

Oblak – Trippier, Felipe, Gimenez, Lodi – Koke, Saul, Thomas, Lemar – Morata, Correa (4-4-2)

Espanyol Team:

Lopez – Naldo, Lopez, Espinosa – Vila, Sanchez, Darder, Roca, Gomez – Vargas, Ferrerya (3-5-2)

We have La Liga match previews and predictions for every game this weekend:

[recent_post_carousel category=”12″ show_content=”false” show_author=”false” show_date=”false” show_category_name=”false” limit=”9″]