Atletico Madrid will be looking to get their La Liga title bid back on track this weekend.
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid best bets
- The match to end as a draw – 14/5 with BetMGM
- Under 2.5 goals to be scored – 4/6 with SBK
- Julian Alvarez to score any time – 9/5 with Casumo
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid odds
Find the latest match odds for Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid predictions
Atletico Madrid welcomed the international break more than most. Just before it, they suffered two season-derailing defeats.
First up was that heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid in Europe. For the fifth time in five Champions League knockout ties against their local rivals, Atletico were sent packing.
There was no time to dwell on that defeat, however, with a crunch La Liga clash with Barcelona following a few days later.
Diego Simeone’s side were 2-0 up against Barca with 70 minutes on the clock. Had they gone on to win, they would have moved two points clear of Hansi Flick’s charges in the standings.
Instead, Atletico collapsed. Barcelona scored four goals, including two in stoppage time, to turn the match on its head and emerge triumphant.
Flick’s side are now four points clear of Atletico with a game in hand. If Barcelona beat Osasuna on Thursday as expected, Simeone’s side would be rank outsiders to win the title.
They must not give up yet, of course. Barcelona suffered a huge dip in form earlier this campaign and it could happen again. Both they and Real Madrid must also balance the La Liga title tussle with the Champions League.
Still, it is obvious that Atletico have a mountain to climb from here. Their price to win the title with the bookies has lengthened to 20/1. Simeone is renowned for his motivational skills, but even the Argentine has a big job on his hands to pick up his downcast players.
“They (Barcelona) have an important advantage, we are aware of the reality,” Simeone said after that six-goal thriller immediately prior to the international break.
“Barcelona are the team that plays the best football; they play the best football as a team in terms of combinations, and they have great individuals. We will work game by game, thinking about Espanyol and following that line until the end.”
Atletico will hope that Barcelona’s city rivals are not at their best this weekend. Anything less than a victory over Espanyol would surely knock the Colchoneros out of the title conversation for good.
The stakes could not be much higher for Simeone and his players, who are desperate to return to winning ways at the end of what has been a difficult month for everyone associated with Atletico.
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid betting tips
Espanyol host Atletico Madrid as La Liga returns after the March international break.
Draw
The key question when it comes to predicting the outcome of this match is whether Atletico Madrid have been able to pick themselves up.
Those defeats by Real Madrid and Barcelona will have hurt immensely, and although there is plenty of character within their squad, Atletico’s confidence has undoubtedly taken a hit.
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Simeone’s charges are nevertheless favourites to beat Espanyol, who are only one point clear of the drop zone with 10 rounds of fixtures remaining.
Despite their lowly position in the table, Espanyol have been in decent form of late. They lost 2-1 to Real Mallorca last time out, but they have avoided defeat in seven of their last nine league games.
What is more, Espanyol have only lost three home games in 2024/25 and none since October. Atletico could be frustrated on Saturday afternoon.
Go for a draw at 14/5 with BetMGM
Under 2.5 goals
Over the last four months, Espanyol have made themselves more difficult to play against. For instance, their four defeats in that time have all come by a single-goal margin.
No other team in the bottom eight has conceded fewer goals than Espanyol, whose backline has been breached just 15 times at the RCDE Stadium.
Matches involving either one of these two teams tend to be on the low-scoring end.
Atletico Madrid’s league games in 2024/25 are averaging 2.43 goals per 90 minutes, while Espanyol’s average is 2.41 per match. Both sides rank in the bottom six in La Liga in that regard.
All of which suggests we are not in store for an open, end-to-end, thrill-a-minute affair this weekend. Goals could be at a premium when these two face off.
Choose under 2.5 goals at 4/6 with SBK
Julian Alvarez to score any time
In hindsight, perhaps Manchester City regret selling Julian Alvarez last summer.
Pep Guardiola’s side received a massive fee of £82m for the Argentina international, but City could have done with him in their squad this term.
Their loss is Atletico Madrid’s gain. Alvarez has been a fantastic addition to Simeone’s group, scoring 23 goals in all competitions.
Only 11 of those strikes have come in La Liga and Alvarez will be keen to improve that tally between now and the end of the campaign.
He is the obvious choice in the anytime scorer market for this meeting with Espanyol.
Back Julian Alvarez to score any time at 9/5 with Casumo
How to watch Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid
- Location: RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain.
- Date and time: Saturday 29th March, 3.15pm.
- How to watch: LALIGATV, Premier Player.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
- Premier League winner predictions
- Premier League top scorer odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Champions League winner odds
- Championship promotion odds
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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