Atlético de Madrid are set to lock horns with Villarreal CF in a Matchday 4 clash that will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. The hosts are heading into Saturday’s duel on the back of a 1-1 draw away at Deportivo Alavés just before the international break. Giuliano Simeone opened the scoring seven minutes into the first half, but his goal was cancelled out by Carlos Vicente, who equalised from the spot in the 14th minute. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
Meanwhile, Villarreal CF’s Matchday 3 encounter with RC Celta ended with the same result. Nicolas Pépé silenced the Vigo crowd just after the break, but Borja Iglesias came off the bench to level the scores in stoppage time with his first goal of the season.
Atlético de Madrid: Seeking their first win
On Saturday, Diego Simeone’s side will look to celebrate their first victory in their bid to leave behind their poor start to the campaign. A 2-1 loss in their season opener away at RCD Espanyol was followed by back-to-back draws against Elche CF and Deportivo Alavés, with Atleti currently sitting 16th in the LALIGA EA SPORTS table.
A potential loss to El Submarino Amarillo would deal a major blow to Los Rojiblancos, as Marcelino’s side are direct contenders for a Champions League spot again this season. Last term, Atlético de Madrid finished third in the league table, just six points ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal CF. Both teams secured a slot in the major European competition’s league phase, one which is set to kick off just after the conclusion of LALIGA EA SPORTS’ Matchday 4.
Unlike Atlético de Madrid, Marcelino’s team got off to a solid start with two straight victories over Real Oviedo and Girona FC. First-half goals from Karl Etta Eyong and Pape Gueye clinched all three points against the Asturians before Villarreal CF put five past the Catalan side, with Tajon Buchanan netting a hat-trick.
A fixture that often ends in a draw
Simeone’s team have conceded at least one goal in each of their first three games of the season. Meanwhile, it should be noted that Atléti have not kept a single clean sheet in eight league games against their upcoming opponents. In fact, the last time they avoided conceding against Villarreal CF was in a 2-0 road victory in February 2021.
Atlético de Madrid have lost just once to Villarreal CF since 2018, as four of the last eight duels between the two teams have ended in a 2-2 draw. In that stretch, Los Rojiblancos have recorded three victories in seven home matches, with their only defeat also coming on home soil back in 2022, when El Submarino Amarillo escaped with a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Yéremi Pino and Gerard Moreno.
Both their duels last term ended in a draw, with the two teams netting a couple of goals apiece in the first half of their season opener, as Atlético de Madrid equalised through Marcos Llorente and Alexander Sørloth after Arnaut Danjuma’s opener and Koke’s own goal put Villarreal CF ahead twice. The two sides met again on Matchday 21, with Moreno opening the scoring from the spot just before the half-an-hour mark. Atlético de Madrid fought back in the second half, with Samuel Lino netting the equaliser in a 1-1 stalemate at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The last nine league clashes between Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal CF have featured an average of 3.2 goals per game, meaning that fans should expect another entertaining encounter between two sides who kicked off the 2025/26 season with the bar of expectations set high for yet another term.
