Diego Simeone renews his battle to lift the Liga trophy once more as Atlético de Madrid have now discovered their league schedule ahead of the upcoming season.
Overview of the 2024/2025 La Liga Season
Atlético de Madrid are one of the traditional big three in Spain, along with city rivals Real Madrid, and Catalan side FC Barcelona. Fans will look ahead to fixtures against both sides with trepidation and excitement.
Key Fixtures and Dates
Atlético de Madrid’s attention turns first to the opening match of the season, when they take on Villarreal, one of the less prestigious teams in La Liga.
Their first home game comes up against Girona on August 25. Girona were the surprise package of last season as they ran the big sides hard in an impressive title challenge.
Then focus shifts for fans to their bitterest rivals, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
The first of those tough matches comes on September 29, when they play Real Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano.
The away trip to Real at the Bernabeu is on February 9.
Then it is FC Barcelona on December 22 at Camp Nou, the final game before the mid-season break. They host the Catalans on March 16 in what could be a decisive match in the title race.
The Madrilenian Derby: Atlético de Madrid vs Real Madrid
The Madrid derby is probably the second biggest game in Spanish football, after El Clasico. With Real the favoured team from the establishment, Atleti are the brasher and more aggressive Madrid side, with Simeone getting the best from less resources and occasionally not just bloodying their rival’s noses, but achieving success in their own right.
Simeone will see no reason he can’t land another Liga trophy this season, and beating Real home and away would go some way to taking them to glory once more.
- Atlético de Madrid vs Real Madrid – September 29
- Real Madrid vs Atlético de Madrid – February 9
Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona
While the fiercest rivalry is between Real and Atlético de Madrid, and Real and Barca, the fact that these two sides are often the best in Spain means that there is always something to play for.
While FC Barcelona are currently seen as the more sophisticated footballing side of the two, Simeone’s team have no lack of talent and their determination has allowed them to turn over in a match that often bristles with Castillian-Catalan bitterness.
- FC Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid – December 22
- Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona – March 16
Other Key Fixtures
Another local rivalry is against Getafe, who play at the Civitas Metropolitano on December 15 and then at Getafe on March 9. The last game of the season is also a potential highlight, with Girona visiting Atleti on May 25 in a potentially massive clash for both teams.
Home and Away Matches
Another difficult fixture for Simeone’s men could come both home and away against Sevilla.
Sevilla play host on December 8, with the return fixture on April 6. Sevilla’s Europa League successes reflect their ability to peak for one-off matches, and with both matches coming in important times – just before the mid-season break and during the title run-in – both sides could be in the middle of a fierce challenge to keep their season on track or their hopes alive.
Of course, the home and away matches against Real will see Spain’s capital abandon any other interests in favour of looking at what the bitter rivalry throws up in terms of drama and defeat.
Important Periods in the Schedule
Perhaps the toughest run of fixtures for Atlético de Madrid comes from the season-opening fixture with Villarreal. The side then have to play Girona, local rivals Espanyol, impressive Basque outfit Athletic Club and then the challenging Valencia, all in their first five fixtures. A poor run off form could derail any early title challenge.
Of course, the four fixtures against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will be the toughest and most exacting encounters for the side next season.
Expectations and Predictions
For a man like Simeone and with fans as passionate as Atlético de Madrid’s, they will be eyeing up every trophy available. Yes, Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappe and FC Barcelona will doubtless add more stars, but this is a settled Atleti team who can mount a serious title challenge every few years. With Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata up top they are an offensive threat, though questions might be asked over whether the squad needs to be freshened up with plenty of familiar names still there.
Griezmann and Morata might be concerns, too, if they bring with them fatigue from their Euro 2024 exploits, with others at Copa America too, that could compound the challenge of those early-season fixtures.
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Fan Reactions and Anticipation
Atlético de Madrid already had one of the most passionate fanbases and Simeone’s tenure has built up an incredible rapport between the team and the manager, even if they are sometimes at odds. If the club can put together a promising run of form, then dreams will start of an unlikely La Liga triumph, just as Real are starting to look worryingly powerful once more.
Recap of the Previous Season
The disappointment came in cup competitions too, as they lost 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, lost the Super Cup to Real Madrid 5-3 after extra time, and were soundly beaten 4-0 over two legs in the semis of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Club. Highlights for the season saw Griezmann notch 24 goals, and in September they beat arch-rivals Real 3-1.
