La Liga Preview: Atlético de Madrid Unbeaten in Recent Encounters with Psychological Advantage, Can Celta Vigo’s Strong Home Form Stop Them?

On September 27 at 3:00 AM, the 7th round of La Liga continues as Atlético de Madrid travels to Estadio Municipal de Balaidos to face Celta Vigo. With Barcelona and Real Madrid both securing wins, Atlético must take all three points to keep up with the title race.

In this summer transfer window, Atlético de Madrid has been very active, not only bringing in Manchester City’s forward and Argentina national team striker Julián Álvarez for €75 million, but also acquiring Conor Gallagher from Chelsea for €42 million, Inigo Martínez from Real Sociedad for €34.5 million, and Alexander Sørloth from Villarreal for €32 million, with a total expenditure exceeding €180 million.

Moreover, Atlético sold João Félix for €52 million, sold Omam-Nyokan for €15 million, sent Morata to Milan by activating his buyout clause for €13 million, and transferred Soyuncu for €8.5 million, recovering nearly €90 million, yet still having a net expenditure close to €100 million. The team’s value has risen to €520 million following these transfers, ranking third in La Liga behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Atlético clearly has ambitions for the title, unwilling to watch Real Madrid and Barcelona alternate at the top. However, in the first six rounds of the season, their performance did not meet expectations. Although they remained unbeaten with 3 wins and 3 draws, they only temporarily sit fourth with 12 points, trailing Barcelona, who have won all their matches, by 9 points after one fewer game, and are also 5 points behind city rivals Real Madrid.

Of course, Atlético is also experiencing the pains of adjustment, particularly with Julián Álvarez, who cost €75 million, scoring only one goal in seven appearances across all competitions without any assists. Without the support of Manchester City’s system, Álvarez has yet to prove he can carry the team alone. Sørloth similarly scored just once in seven appearances, with the new signings’ performances falling short of expectations. Atlético is still relying on its veterans, with Antoine Griezmann providing a lifeline with 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 games.

Fortunately, Atlético still boasts the best defense in La Liga, conceding only 3 goals in 6 games, outperforming Real Madrid and Barcelona. The return of their ironclad defense ensures the team’s baseline performance.

Celta Vigo did not spend much in the transfer window, bringing in Unai Núñez from Athletic Bilbao for a total of €7 million. In the first three rounds, Celta won two and lost one, but entered a slump in September, losing 2-3 away to Osasuna and 1-3 to Athletic Bilbao, only managing a 3-1 home win over Valladolid.

Moreover, Celta is one of the worst defensive teams in La Liga this season, conceding 13 goals in 6 games, only better than promoted side Valladolid.

Celta is truly a strong team at home, with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last 10 away La Liga matches, boasting a 70% win rate. Atlético, on the other hand, has 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in their last 10 away La Liga matches, which is average. In the last 10 meetings between the two sides, Atlético has 7 wins and 3 draws, including winning all 6 recent encounters, giving them a significant psychological advantage.

Considering that the next match is the Madrid Derby, Atlético certainly does not want to lose points before such a big game, but with tight schedules and heavy tasks, it will test Simeone’s rotation skills.

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