Atletico Madrid will be eager to secure their first win of the new season when they hit the road to face Deportivo Alaves.

Deportivo Alaves will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Atletico Madrid, who are yet to win a game this season. With the pressure mounting on Diego Simeone, expect the Madrid-based giants to go all-out attack.

Alaves started the new season with a 2-1 win over Levante. It was quite an impressive performance for them, but they failed to replicate it against Real Betis in matchday 2 and ended up losing 1-0.

While they did create a few chances, Alaves were not clinical in the final third. They will be hoping to put up a much-improved performance against Atletico Madrid. With Simeone’s team not in the best of form, they will be hoping to script an upset.

Meanwhile, Atletico will be desperate for all three points when they take on Alaves. They began the season with a shocking defeat at the hands of Espanyol, and while many expected them to bounce back against Elche, they were held to a draw at home.

Simeone’s men are already five points adrift of Barcelona and Real Madrid and cannot afford to drop more points. They will be eager to avoid playing catch-up throughout the season, making a win here crucial both for their campaign and for their manager’s future. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Deportivo Alaves

The home team will be without the services of Lucas Boye because of injury. Meanwhile, Hugo Novoa and Nikola Maras will undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability.

While they suffered a defeat at the hands of Betis last time out, Alaves did put in a decent performance, and there are high chances the manager will stick to the same XI.

Alaves will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Antonio Sivera will be in goal. Jonny Otto and Víctor Parada will be the full-backs, while Facundo Garcés will partner with Nahuel Tenaglia in the heart of the defence.

Pablo Ibáñez and Antonio Blanco will form the double pivot. They will look to shield the backline and ensure Atletico midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.

Carlos Vicente and Carles Alena will feature on the flanks, providing the width to their attack. While they will look to support the full-backs, their focus will be on hitting Atletico on the counter.

Jon Guridi will be the attacking midfielder, while Toni Martinez will be leading the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Jonny, Tenaglia, Garces, Parada; Ibanez, Blanco; Vicente, Guridi, Alena; Martinez

Atletico Madrid

Diego Simeone will be without the services of Alex Baena and Jose Gimenez. The Madrid-based giants do not have any fresh injury concerns, which means everyone else should be available for selection.

Atletico will stick with the 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will be the full-backs, while Robin Le Normand will start alongside David Hancko in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Johnny Cardoso will partner with Pablo Barrios. The duo will take care of the central areas, while Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada will feature on the flanks. They will support the full-backs and provide width to their attacks.

In the final third, Alexander Sorloth will partner with Julian Alvarez.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Barrios, Almada; Sorloth, Alvarez

Key Stats

• Atletico Madrid have won 12 out of the last 22 matches against Deportivo Alaves, who have won five of those fixtures.
• Alaves have been unbeaten in each of their last three home games against Atletico in La Liga.
• Atletico Madrid have failed to find the back of the net in each of their last three away games against Alaves.
• Diego Simeone’s team have failed to win their first two league outings this season.
• The corresponding match last season ended 0-0.

Player to Watch

Julian Alvarez

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Alvarez had an exceptional debut campaign as he finished the 2024/25 season with 29 goals and eight assists in his 57 outings. He has established himself as one of their mainstays, and with Antoine Griezmann in the final phase of his career, the Argentine is now the leader of their attack.

While he has bagged a goal in the new season, the 25-year-old hasn’t been able to secure all three points. He will be eager to make a difference in the final third and help his team claim their first win of the new season.

Prediction

Deportivo Alaves 1-2 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid will head into this clash under pressure, knowing that anything less than three points could further derail their start to the campaign. Despite a slow beginning, Simeone still has a squad packed with quality, and with Julian Alvarez leading the line, they have enough firepower to finally break their winless run.

Deportivo Alaves, meanwhile, will look to frustrate Atletico by keeping things compact and hitting them on the counter. Their recent home record against Simeone’s side should give them confidence, but converting chances in the final third will be the key if they are to cause an upset. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.