Atletico Madrid vs Malaga – News and Probable Lineups

Atletico Madrid is set to kick off their 2026-27 La Liga season against Malaga on Wednesday evening.

Last season, Diego Simeone’s team secured a fourth-place finish in La Liga, indicating there is significant scope for improvement this year, while Malaga achieved promotion back to the top tier after winning the Segunda Division playoffs last season.

Match overview

Atletico struggled to compete for last season’s La Liga title, ultimately finishing in the fourth position a full 25 points behind champions Barcelona.

Considering the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid, it will be a challenging task for Simeone’s squad to contend for the championship in 2026-27. However, the Red and Whites have considerable potential for improvement, having endured 11 defeats in Spain’s top division last season.

This summer, Atletico has completed four signings, enhancing their squad with the additions of Alejandro Grimaldo, Lee Kang-in, Morten Hjulmand, and Cristian Romero.

During pre-season, the Red and Whites played four matches, achieving victories against Getafe and Marseille, while suffering losses to Premier League rivals Manchester United and Manchester City.

Historically, Atletico has triumphed in 40 out of their last 71 encounters with Malaga across all competitions, winning the last five and facing only 12 defeats in that period.

Malaga’s most recent win against Atletico came in December 2015, when they secured a 1-0 victory at home. They have not defeated the Red and Whites away since May 2011.

The White and Sky Blues returned to the top division through the 2025-26 Segunda Division playoffs, marking their first season at this level since the 2017-18 campaign.

Juan Francisco Funes has made only three signings this summer, strengthening the squad with the arrivals of Juan Cruz, Fernando Calero, and Jose Salinas.

On the other hand, there have been six departures from the first team, including Darko Brasanac.

In pre-season, the White and Sky Blues managed to win just one match, entering this fixture following a 2-2 draw with Premier League team Fulham.

Team News

Atletico needs to assess the fitness of Alexander Sorloth following a minor injury last week; however, the home side generally remains in good condition.

Julian Alvarez did not participate in the match against Marseille amid ongoing speculation regarding his future; it’s uncertain whether the forward will return to the squad for this game.

New signings Grimaldo and Kang-in are expected to make their debuts, while Arnau Ortiz’s solid pre-season performances could lead to a place in the starting XI.

Unfortunately, it may be too soon for Romero to feature in this match.

For Malaga, Aaron Ochoa will miss the match due to suspension, and Carlos Dotor, Fernando Calero, Diego Murillo, and Adrian Nino are all sidelined with injuries.

The visitors also need to check on Juanpe, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, which may leave six players unavailable against Atletico.

Jose Solinas is anticipated to debut at left-back, while Chupe, who netted 25 times in all competitions during the 2025-26 season, will spearhead the attack.

Atletico Madrid probable starting XI:

Clouds; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko; Simeone, Barrios, Koke, Grimaldo; Kang-in; Lookman, Ortiz

Malaga probable starting XI:

Blacksmith; Puga, Recio, Galilea, Salinas; Larrubia, Rodriguez, Merino, Lorenzo, Munoz; Suck

Malaga has the potential to make this encounter challenging for Atletico, and while a low-scoring match is anticipated, Simeone’s men should be capable of securing all three points.