Atlético Madrid vs Málaga: First game for Simeone’s team, but his mind is elsewhere

The Spanish league gets underway on Wednesday evening, with Atlético Madrid hosting newly promoted Málaga. On paper, the Madrid side are clear favourites, but the transfer drama unfolding behind the scenes could steal the spotlight from the action on the pitch.

Pre-season friendlies paint a mixed picture

Simeone’s side faced strong opposition over the summer. Atlético suffered a 1–3 defeat to Manchester City, highlighting that their defence still needs work ahead of the season. The team then found their form, beating Olympique Marseille 2–1 in a fast-paced pre-season fixture.

Several absences are complicating matters for the squad ahead of the season opener. Morten Hjulmand and Alexander Sørloth are definitely out due to injury, whilst Cristian Romero is also unavailable due to health issues. The newly arrived Argentine international defender will therefore have to wait a little longer to make his debut. Atleti paid around €40 million for the Argentine.

Málaga are not in an easy position either. The team are forced to do without several defenders: Fernando Calero, Carlos Dotor and Diego Murillo are all out with injuries, whilst Aarón Ochoa is suspended. Adrián Nino suffered a thigh injury in the pre-season friendly against Fulham and is certain to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

El Atlético de Madrid homenajeará a la selección española campeona del mundo en los minutos previos al partido de este miércoles ante el Málaga.

Invitamos a los aficionados a que anticipen su llegada para no perderse ni un instante de un momento que permanecerá en la retina de… pic.twitter.com/gTvQPo1wtq

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) August 17, 2026

The biggest story of the summer: will Julián Álvarez stay?

Off-pitch events could easily overshadow the match. Julián Álvarez has openly stated that he would like to leave Atlético, and Barcelona have been trying to sign the forward for months. The Catalan club has so far made an offer of 100 million euros, but the Madrid management has rejected this, as well as a subsequent 150 million offer from Real Madrid.

Club director Miguel Ángel Gil Marín has publicly stated that they would not let the striker go even for an offer of 200 million euros; his contract runs until 2030 and includes a release clause of 500 million euros. They say that Barca has no money to buy Álvarez. The Argentine would like to leave – let’s see what happens.

🚨🇦🇷 Atlético Madrid have not moved an inch from their position regarding Julián Álvarez.

Everyone at the club, including Diego Simeone, is counting on him for the upcoming season.

If he does not feature against Málaga, Simeone is expected to count on him against Villarreal… pic.twitter.com/ZS3lEsIacU

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) August 17, 2026

Álvarez returned to training after the World Cup and has passed the mandatory medical checks; he is fit to play. Nevertheless, the relationship between the club and the player has deteriorated, and fans are anxiously waiting to see whether the striker will take to the pitch against Málaga at all, or whether the club will opt to rest him due to the uncertain situation.

Betting tips for the match

Atlético Madrid to win and both teams to score

On paper, the home side are clear favourites, but Málaga’s injury-hit defence could provide the visitors with scoring opportunities. The home team’s odds are pretty low, but due to their recent form, we think Málaga could easily score a goal just to make the game a bit more exciting.

Over 2.5 goals in the match

Atlético’s pre-season matches have regularly seen plenty of goals, whilst Málaga will struggle to keep a clean sheet against a stronger, newly promoted side.

Julián Álvarez will not start

Given the current tense atmosphere, Simeone may decide not to take any risks with the Argentine striker at the start of the league season, opting instead to bring him on as a substitute or not to field him at all.

Where to bet? Check out 36Vegas.