1

La Liga: Atlético Madrid vs Villarreal CF Match Preview And Prediction - 21/08/2022

Atletico Madrid were ruthless in their win away from home on the opening weekend of action, as Alvaro Morata scored a rare two goals in the game in a fantastic attacking display from the forwards.

His two goals were matched by Antoine Griezmann's upturn in form, as he netted with 15 minutes to go with another smart goal from the Frenchman. Simeone's men restricted a struggling Getafe side to no shots on target in the game too, as Atletico saw 59% of the ball that day.

Villarreal can shout just as loud as Atletico heading into this game after an excellent run of form of their own. They too kicked off their La Liga campaign with an impressive 3-0 away win , as Nicolas Jackson scored before a late Alex Baena brace for the club against Real Valladolid.

The defensive qualities in the game were not as strong as Atletico's, but with five shots on target for Villarreal, they've proved their worth in the attacking sense early on. Unai Emery’s men also schooled Hajduk Split in the Europa Conference League Qualifiers just days later, however, in a 4-2 victory to all but secure their spot in this season’s competition.

Jose Luis Morales scored twice that day, before an own goal and a first of the season for the impressive goalscorer, Gerard Moreno, secured a 4-2 win and a 4-1 lead at half time. Combine this with a 4-2 preseason win over Inter Milan and three other victories in the summer, and Emery sits with his team in great form ahead of travelling to Madrid.

PREDICTION: OVER 2.5 MATCH GOALS TO BE EXPECTED.