Atletico Madrid — Elche : Match Preview and Prediction for August 23,2025

Early Season Struggles for Atletico

Madrid’s “Atletico” appears to still be recovering from a thoroughly disappointing last season.

Pre-Season Form and Club World Cup Exit

The “Rojiblancos,” after failing to advance from their group in the Club World Cup, had a 1.5-month break. Following their return from vacation, they played three friendly matches, managing to defeat only “Newcastle” (2-0), while drawing with “Rayo Vallecano” (1-1) and losing to “Porto” (0-1).

La Liga Opening Match Setback

Diego Simeone’s squad couldn’t kick off the new La Liga season successfully, falling to “Espanyol” (1-2) away, conceding both goals in the final 20 minutes of the match. Julian Alvarez scored another masterful free-kick, though the Argentine also missed three other chances.

Summer Transfer Activity

The hosts’ management made some decent reinforcements this summer, signing Giacomo Raspadori (from “Napoli”), David Hancko (“Feyenoord”), Johnny Cardoso (“Betis”), Alejandro Baena (“Villarreal”), and Matteo Ruggeri (“Atalanta”). However, they also managed to earn money by offloading underperforming players: Thomas Lemar (to “Girona”), Samuel Lino (“Flamengo”), Rodrigo De Paul (“Inter Miami”), Saúl Ñíguez (“Flamengo”), and Ángel Correa (“Tigres”).

Team News: Unavailable Players

The Argentine coach will be without Giménez and Baena for this fixture.

Elche’s Promising Start

“Elche” made a fairly decent return to the top flight, earning a point against “Betis” (1-1) on their home turf in their very first match. While “Los Béticos” squandered many chances, the hosts managed to hold onto a draw.

Pre-Season Performance Review

Eder Sarabia’s squad had a mixed pre-season, winning four games and losing four. Their opponents were generally of a similar level: “Millwall” (2-1), “Hércules” (0-2, 1-0), “Blackburn” (0-1), “Getafe” (2-1), “Al-Ahli” (0-2), “Al-Ain” (3-4), and “Almería” (1-0).

Transfer Market Activity and Squad Concerns

Even before the season began, the visitors were considered strong contenders for relegation. Their transfer activity during this window seems to confirm this. While André Silva arrived from “RB Leipzig,” he has been a mediocre player for quite some time. Perhaps Álvaro Rodríguez, formerly of “Real Madrid,” could also be added to the list of new arrivals. However, the sales of two key players, Fernández (to “New York City”) and Nicolás Castro (“Toluca”), will negatively impact the team, especially given the lack of adequate replacements.

Injury Report: Key Absentees

Sarabia faces a situation somewhat akin to an injury crisis, with three players remaining in the infirmary: Boyar, Fernández, and Diaby.