Football Bet of the Day: Atleti to get off to a winning start

The opening weekend of La Liga is well underway as we reach Sunday's action, which has three fixtures in store. The late kick-off (20:30 BST, Premier Sports 1) sees Espanyol host Atletico Madrid at the RCDE Stadium.

The hosts avoided relegation by two points last season and they will be hoping for a more fruitful campaign in 2025/26, while Atleti will be pushing to become more of a threat in the title race. Read on to find out my Football Bet of the Day, which comes from this contest.

Espanyol were able to maintain their top-flight status following promotion back to La Liga in 2023/24. They mostly struggled last season but a three-game winning streak in April proved crucial in keeping them up, and this earned manager Manolo Gonzalez the Manager of the Month award.

Most of the Parakeets' troubles came on the road, as they only lost five of their 19 contests at home. However, two of their last three games at the RCDE ended in defeat, while their form at the end of the campaign plummeted with five defeats from six.

They may have won on the final day, but there are going to be question marks surrounding them heading into the new campaign.

Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid Odds

Diego Simeone's Atleti are going to be a tough test for the opener, even if it is at home. Espanyol can take some confidence into this match, though, as they held Atletico Madrid to a draw in this fixture last term, with Javier Puado's penalty cancelling out Cesar Azpilicueta's opener.

Simeone's sides are renowned for their tenacity in matches but also their defensive solidity. They kept seven clean sheets on the road in La Liga last season, six of them coming with victories - which amounted to 75% (6/8) of their wins on the road.

That's why I think backing the visitors to win to nil here on Sunday could offer good value. Atleti are a tough side to break down while boasting a lot of quality in attack with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth to name a few.

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Espanyol may have pinched a point off them when they met here last but it was thanks to a penalty, with that being their only shot on target. I'm doubtful they will be granted that same fortune again.

Atletico Madrid have been recruiting well over the summer, with Alex Baena (Villarreal), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis) and Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli) the standout names who have joined the club.

This added quality may prove too much for Espanyol, despite the home advantage. So my Football Bet of the Day is for Atletico Madrid to beat the Parakeets to nil.

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