Atletico’s title defence starts now
It won’t be plain sailing
La Liga’s champions kick off their 2021/22 campaign with a trip to the Estadio de Balaidos where they’ll meet Celta Vigo. Atletico Madrid should be confident that they can get off to winning ways and pick up from where they left off last campaign, as Simeone’s side will be determined to retain their title. It’s not the easiest of starts for Atleti however, with Vigo snatching a draw in the reverse fixture last season. Vigo finished last season in a respectable 8th, on the back winning four on the bounce to finish the season off in style. So, they too will be looking to pick up from where they left off.
Suarez strikes again
The talisman for Atleti last season was striker Luis Suarez. After Barcelona let him go because he was too old (then proceeded to sign 33-year-old Sergio Aguero), he found home under Simeone and helped lead them to their first La Liga title since 2013/14. They’ve added midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who was highly sort after this summer. The Argentine arrived from Udinese this season and it will be interesting to how he fits into Simeone’s plans. On the other side, the hosts have their two star strikers to carry the scoring load. Iago Aspas and Santi Mina combined for 26 goals last season, with Aspas notching up 13 assists to lead the league in this category last season. They were able to pull away from the lower-mid table positions thanks to Aspas in particular, so if he can carry that form into this season, they could well challenge for the European spots. Last season Atleti won 0-2 in this fixture, one of only four occasions where Vigo failed to score at home that season. While I fancy Celta Vigo to score this time around, I think Atleti should get over the line and claim all three points to get their season off to a winning start.
They go again!
Diego Simeone will do everything in his power to make sure Atletico Madrid fill this Messi-shaped void left in La Liga. The title race will seemingly be wide open this campaign, and with the backing of Luis Suarez, as well as young star Joao Felix due to return from injury at some point this season, Atleti should be a force at the top end of the table. First, it’s imperative they get off to a quick start and see off Celta Vigo early on.
While I wouldn’t put it past Celta Vigo to grab a goal here, I can see this hugely talented Atletico Madrid side getting the job done on Sunday. That’s why I’m going for an Atletico Madrid win with bet365.
Post bet chat Archie's Tips:
Atletico won 1-2 in a game that saw two red cards in the 95th minute. Angel Correa with a brace for the visitors.