On the back of a Champions League defeat to Manchester City, Atletico Madrid will aim to bounce back and continue their fine league form on Sunday, when they host in-form Espanyol. Our sportsbook is offering a great range of betting markets and props for the top European soccer leagues.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Spain La Liga odds for Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol. We’ve plenty of Soccer predictions for you to consider.
Atletico Madrid: Out of the Champions League
Hair-pulling, time-wasting, full-scale brawl, red card, Atletico Madrid’s Champions League match against Man City was fully packed with everything but goals. The Spanish side desperately hunted for the goal that would break Manchester City’s resistance but they failed to find the back of the net and they got knocked out of Europe’s most important competition.
They must put all that behind them and return to their domestic action with a crucial win against Espanyol. They are sitting fourth in the standings but both Betis and Real Sociedad are breathing down their neck sitting one and three points behind respectively. A run of six straight victories has seen the defending champions climb back into the top four of the La Liga table.
That amazing run came to an end last weekend when they disappointed against relegation-threatened Mallorca, losing 1-0 on home soil. It’s true, Diego Simeone rested many of his key players, trying to have them fully fit against the Citizens. In what has been a particularly underwhelming title defense, Los Colchoneros sat outside of the top four with 11 wins and 39 points from their first 24 outings, but they have since gone on to post six straight wins.
Atletico’s season appears to be at a crossroads. Simeone will be quick to remind his squad that mid-table visitors Espanyol are a tough nut to be cracked, particularly as the hosts have lost to relegation contenders Mallorca and Levante on either side of six consecutive league wins. This match should be closer than what the odds suggest, so we will not include a straight Atletico win in our soccer picks and parlays.
Espanyol: Nothing to fight for
Espanyol saw a three-game unbeaten run in La Liga come to an end two rounds ago when they lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad but they immediately bounced back beating Celta Vigo last weekend 1-0 on home soil. Having secured a return to La Liga by winning the Segunda Division last term, consolidating back at this level was always going to be the club’s number one objective, and they are in no relegation trouble at this stage of the season, sitting 11th in the standings with 39 points earned in 31 rounds, 11 points above the drop zone.
Espanyol is just two points behind 10th-placed Osasuna, so a top-half finish is certainly achievable but for that to happen they must improve their road form. They are one of the worst road teams in the league winning just one in 15 away games and conceding 26 goals in the process. Their last away win was against Valencia back in December 2021. If you’re betting online, it’s very important to know how the team you’re about to bet on is performing both at home and on the road.
Leading goalscorer Raul de Tomas returned from injury last weekend against Celta and we expect him to lead the attacking line on Sunday and Atletico Madrid. Diego Lopez will return between the sticks while Manu Morlanes will be available once again following a suspension.
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Head-to-Heads
The hosts won three of the last five mutual encounters between the two sides, including a 2-1 road victory in the reverse fixture. Despite winning just once in their last four head-to-heads, Espanyol managed to find the back of the net on every occasion. Last season, Atletico finished 1st having the best defense in the league with just 25 goals conceded in 38 games. This term, they have the worst backline in the top eight teams in the La Liga standings with 38 goals conceded with seven games remaining till the end of the season. As previously stated, Espanyol managed to win just once on the road all season long.
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Game Information
- Game: Atletico Madrid (17-6-8) vs Espanyol (10-9-12)
- Location: Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid)
- Day/Time: Sunday, April 17th, 10:45 a.m. ET
- Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Live stream: fubo.tv
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Betting Lines
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol Predictions
The hosts enter this clash as heavy favorites being priced at -240 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while the goal line is set at 2½.
Given Atletico Madrid’s schedule with two difficult Champions League games but also a domestic league in the last nine days, we expect them to suffer against Espanyol. On top of that, their confidence level is down after being knocked out of the UCL quarter-finals. We still expect them to win but we won’t play them at that price.
Instead, we will combine the winners’ market with the goals. Espanyol struggles to score on the road recording just 13 goals in 15 games. Atletico should be able to keep things very tight at the back and not concede.
Pick: Atletico Madrid ML and Total Under 3½ goals at -110
