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Atlético Madrid Heads to San Mamés with Unbeaten Momentum

Atlético Madrid head to San Mamés on Saturday evening with the look of a side that remembers exactly who it is.

Unbeaten, sharp, and already snarling.

Atlético arrive with early-season bite

Three games into their La Liga campaign, Diego Simeone’s team sit third, with seven points from a possible nine. They have hit seven goals and conceded only three, a start that blends the old Atlético steel with a fresher, more attacking edge.

They opened with a controlled 2-0 win over Málaga CF at the Metropolitano, a result that set the tone without ever feeling in doubt. The first wobble, if it can be called that, came in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal CF, where Atlético showed both their firepower and their flaws.

Then came the statement performance: a 3-1 victory away to Sevilla FC. Clinical, ruthless, and the kind of away win that tends to linger in the minds of title rivals.

Now comes a different kind of test. San Mamés. Athletic Club. Noise, pressure, and a home side that rarely lets visitors settle.

Álvarez stays, David arrives, Sørloth out

Simeone travels to Bilbao with relatively few injuries, and one major saga finally put to bed.

Julián Álvarez is back in the matchday squad. The forward missed recent sessions through illness and spent the summer window under intense scrutiny amid strong links to Barcelona. That cloud has lifted. He trained fully this week and is available for selection, a significant boost for Atlético’s attacking options.

Alexander Sørloth is not so fortunate. The main centre-forward continues his recovery from the muscle injury he picked up in mid-August and remains out. Midfielder Obed Vargas is also still sidelined, trimming Simeone’s choices in the middle of the pitch.

There is fresh intrigue up front, though. Late-window loan signing Jonathan David has been named in the squad and could make his first appearance in La Liga. His movement and finishing offer a different profile in the final third, and San Mamés would be a fierce but fitting stage for a debut.

At the back, there is another key return. Robin Le Normand has served his suspension and is expected to walk straight back into the starting XI, restoring experience and authority to the defensive line on a night when both will be badly needed.

Predicted Atlético XI

Simeone’s options allow for tweaks, but the core feels settled. Atlético’s likely lineup:

  • Oblak;
  • Llorente, Hancko, Pubill, Grimaldo;
  • Barrios, Hjulmand;
  • Simeone, Kang-in, Lookman;
  • Baena.

It is a side built to compete in the chaos of San Mamés while still carrying enough guile between the lines to hurt Athletic.

Kick-off time and TV details

The match kicks off at 3:15pm BST on Saturday, 5 September.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch Athletic Club vs Atlético Madrid live on LALIGATV.

An unbeaten start, a hostile stadium, a squad that looks deeper and more dangerous than in recent years. If Atlético are serious about chasing the very top this season, nights like this in Bilbao will tell us how far they can really go.

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