Atlético Madrid vs MalagaPrediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

The Metropolitano opens the season with Atlético Madrid against Malaga, back in the top flight. The hosts closed a mixed pre-season: a 2-1 at Marseille and a 4-1 over Getafe, but also three defeats to Manchester City, Manchester United and a heavy 5-1 at Villarreal. Malaga won none of their last five outings apart from a 4-2 over Al-Arabi, with three goal-filled draws against Fulham, Al-Ittihad and Leicester. The meetings between the two date back several years and show Atlético winning four of five. The prediction may change in the hours before kick-off. Confirmed line-ups, late injuries, suspensions, rotation ahead of other fixtures and the state of the pitch and the weather can all alter the picture described above. In those cases the selection may be reviewed and updated within 12 to 24 hours of the match: this happens rarely, but when it does, the version published on this page is always the current one. The data and assessments here are provided for information and statistical purposes.