Football Previews
Valencia vs Atletico Madrid
Competition – Spanish Primera
Stadium – Estadio Mestalla
Date: 20th August 2018
Kick-off time – 20:00 GMT
This game is the biggest game of the opening weekend in the Spanish La Liga.
These sides finished 4th and 2nd respectively last season and they will both be looking to challenge the stranglehold of Barcelona and Real Madrid and this game could show who is ready for a tilt at the title.
Atletico’s Super Cup win has set down a marker already and judging by how good their summer business has been they look more prepared than their hosts to challenge for the league title.
Diego Simeone’s side did not sell any of their top players and they also added Thomas Lemar and Rodri both of whom should get their La Liga debut in this game.
Valencia’s challenge in this campaign is to be able to replicate the domestic success they had last season while also getting a good run in the UEFA Champions League.
Their run in the latter has been helped by the fact that they will not be going through the qualifiers; however, this game is still a very tough opening fixture for them.
Los Che has signed Michy Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea and if the Belgian replicates the form he showed during his four month stint with Borussia Dortmund last season, they could have a star man on their hands.
Atleti have won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these clubs, and the two meetings between them last season produced just one goal, scored by Atleti at the Wanda Metropolitana.
Bookmakers favour Atletico to come out on top however the odds are extremely tight and many will fancy Valencia at the Mestalla.
Results of each team’s last 5 matches across all leagues and competitions
Valencia
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Everton |  |
2-3 |  |
Valencia | 4 Aug, 2018 | Friendly |
| D | Leicester City |  |
1-1 | |
Valencia | 1 Aug, 2018 | Friendly |
| L | PSV Eindhoven |  |
2-1 | |
Valencia | 28 Jul, 2018 | Friendly |
| D | Valencia | |
0-0 |  |
Lausanne Sports | 24 Jul, 2018 | Friendly |
| W | Galatasaray |  |
1-2 | |
Valencia | 21 Jul, 2018 | Friendly |
Atletico Madrid
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Atletico Madrid |  |
0-1 |  |
Internazionale | 11 Aug, 2018 | International Champions Cup |
| W | Cagliari |  |
0-1 | |
Atletico Madrid | 8 Aug, 2018 | Friendly |
| D | VfB Stuttgart |  |
1-1 | |
Atletico Madrid | 5 Aug, 2018 | Friendly |
| L | Paris Saint-Germain |  |
3-2 | |
Atletico Madrid | 30 Jul, 2018 | International Champions Cup |
| W | Atletico Madrid | |
1-1 |  |
Arsenal | 26 Jul, 2018 | International Champions Cup |
H2H
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atletico Madrid | |
1-0 | |
Valencia | 4 Feb, 2018 | Spanish Primera División |
| Valencia | |
0-0 | |
Atletico Madrid | 9 Sep, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| Atletico Madrid | |
3-0 | |
Valencia | 5 Mar, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| Valencia | |
0-2 | |
Atletico Madrid | 2 Oct, 2016 | Spanish Primera División |
| Valencia | |
1-3 | |
Atletico Madrid | 6 Mar, 2016 | Spanish Primera División |
Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera:
| September 1, 2018 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 17:30 | Athletic Bilbao |
| September 25, 2018 | ||
| Espanyol | 19:00 | Eibar |
| Real Sociedad | 20:00 | Rayo Vallecano |
| Atlético de Madrid | 21:00 | Huesca |
| September 26, 2018 | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 19:00 | Villarreal |
| Leganés | 19:00 | Barcelona |
| Sevilla | 21:00 | Real Madrid |
| Valencia | 21:00 | Celta de Vigo |
| September 27, 2018 | ||
| Real Valladolid | 19:00 | Levante |
| Deportivo Alavés | 19:00 | Getafe |
| Girona | 21:00 | Real Betis |
| September 28, 2018 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 20:00 | Espanyol |
| September 29, 2018 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 12:00 | Valencia |
| Barcelona | 15:15 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Eibar | 17:30 | Sevilla |
| Real Madrid | 19:45 | Atlético de Madrid |
| September 30, 2018 | ||
| Huesca | 11:00 | Girona |
| Villarreal | 15:15 | Real Valladolid |
| Levante | 17:30 | Deportivo Alavés |
| Real Betis | 19:45 | Leganés |
Spanish Primera Table
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | G | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 13 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 13 |
| 3 | Deportivo Alavés | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 | Celta de Vigo | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 8 |
| 5 | Atlético de Madrid | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 |
| 6 | Girona | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 8 |
| 7 | Sevilla | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 7 |
| 8 | Espanyol | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 7 |
| 9 | Real Sociedad | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | +0 | 7 |
| 10 | Getafe | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 7 |
| 11 | Eibar | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 7 |
| 12 | Athletic Bilbao | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 |
| 13 | Real Betis | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 14 | Villarreal | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 5 |
| 15 | Valencia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 4 |
| 16 | Levante | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 4 |
| 17 | Huesca | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 4 |
| 18 | Real Valladolid | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
| 19 | Rayo Vallecano | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 3 |
| 20 | Leganés | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 1 |
Spanish Primera Results
| September 23, 2018 | ||
| Barcelona | 2 - 2 | Girona |
| Real Betis | 2 - 2 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Villarreal | 0 - 0 | Valencia |
| Levante | 2 - 6 | Sevilla |
| September 22, 2018 | ||
| Real Madrid | 1 - 0 | Espanyol |
| Getafe | 0 - 2 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Celta de Vigo | 3 - 3 | Real Valladolid |
| Eibar | 1 - 0 | Leganés |
| Rayo Vallecano | 1 - 5 | Deportivo Alavés |
| September 21, 2018 | ||
| Huesca | 0 - 1 | Real Sociedad |
| September 17, 2018 | ||
| Girona | 3 - 2 | Celta de Vigo |
| September 16, 2018 | ||
| Sevilla | 0 - 2 | Getafe |
| Real Valladolid | 0 - 1 | Deportivo Alavés |
| Espanyol | 1 - 0 | Levante |
| Leganés | 0 - 1 | Villarreal |
| September 15, 2018 | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 1 - 1 | Real Madrid |
| Valencia | 0 - 0 | Real Betis |
| Real Sociedad | 1 - 2 | Barcelona |
| Atlético de Madrid | 1 - 1 | Eibar |
| September 14, 2018 | ||
| Huesca | 0 - 1 | Rayo Vallecano |
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