ATLETICO MADRID v ALAVES
Sunday 21st August 2016 – Kickoff: 2215hrs
Football – Spain – La Liga Betting Tips
Atletico Madrid emerged as real contenders to Spanish domestic giants Barcelona and Real Madrid at the end of last season as they finished in third place but only three points separated them from title winners Barcelona.
Atletico had earlier dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stages which they then followed up with a semi-final win over German giants Bayern Munich to progress through to the final. However, they were eventually beaten by fellow compatriots Real Madrid on penalties after normal time (and extra time) had failed to produce a winner with the game ending 1-1.
This should therefore be another successful campaign for Atletico Madrid this term, and they should possess too much in their locker for new-comers Alaves with the likes of Griezmann, Gameiro and Torres up front.
Onto Alaves now, and they secured the Segunda Division title at the end of a tense last day of the Spanish second tier season, grabbing top place and promotion ahead of second placed Leganes who also achieved automatic promotion.
But the hard work of remaining in the Spanish top flight really begins this evening when they make their way to Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Vicente Calderón as they face their first big test of the new domestic season.
It’s been 10 years since Deportivo Alaves have been in La Liga and although they took a point off Atletico in a 1-1 draw the last time they ventured into the nation’s capital, they lost their return fixture at home to tonight’s hosts in a 1-0 defeat in their last encounter.
Things have dramatically changed since then, and I’m expecting the home side to take an early lead here.
Pick: Atletico Madrid HT/FT @ 1.85 Coral
