Atletico Madrid Hosts Elche Seeking First Win La Liga

Atletico Madrid is set to play their first home game of the 2025-26 La Liga season against newly-promoted Elche at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, looking to rebound from a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Espanyol on the opening day. Diego Simeone emphasized the team is reinventing itself and aims to build on positive aspects from their previous match while addressing areas for improvement. The squad has been strengthened by summer signings like Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso, Giacomo Raspadori, and notably Julian Alvarez, who has quickly become a key player after scoring a spectacular free kick. Atletico's lineup will also feature academy player Jano, highlighting the club's blend of new signings and homegrown talent. Elche, who drew 1-1 with Real Betis in their season opener, will rely on players like Germán Valera, who scored on his La Liga debut last season and remains a key figure. The match, kicking off at 6:30 pm BST on August 23, is highly anticipated by fans eager for Atletico to secure their first win and avoid early season criticism.