Atletico Madrid go to Espanyol chasing six straight wins in all competitions, with the chance to stay second in La Liga after 19 points from eight matches. Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid still carries a bit more bite than the table suggests. Atletico Madrid have won only one of their last six meetings with Espanyol, and the Catalan side beat them 2-1 in the corresponding game last season.
Atletico's current form
The cleanest reason to expect Atletico Madrid to come in strong is their run. They have won their last five league matches and all six in all competitions, while scoring 18 league goals and conceding only eight. That is the sort of form that usually travels well, and it leaves Diego Simeone's side firmly in the title chase rather than drifting around the top-four edge.
Espanyol's home resistance
Espanyol are 12th on eight points from eight matches, so the league table does not flatter them either. They drew 1-1 with Malaga in their last league game and have taken just one point from their last three. Even so, this is not a fixture Atletico can treat casually, because Espanyol have already shown they can frustrate them in this matchup. Sports Mole put it simply, saying: "Espanyol are capable of making this a tough match for Atletico, but Simeone's side are in excellent form at this moment in time, and we are backing an away success in this contest."
The form line favours Atletico Madrid, but the recent head-to-head record keeps this from feeling routine. Six wins in a row is a strong base, yet a trip to Espanyol still asks for a proper performance on Saturday.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
