Atlético Madrid's Toughest Test at San Mamés Against Athletic Club

Atlético Madrid hit the road for their toughest test yet of the new La Liga season, heading into the cauldron of San Mamés on Saturday evening to face Athletic Club.

Diego Simeone’s side arrive in Bilbao in rhythm and in control. Three games, seven points, third place. Seven goals scored, three conceded. The numbers back up what the eye has seen so far: a refreshed Atlético that looks sharper, more inventive, and far less laboured than in recent seasons.

Their campaign opened with a routine 2-0 win over Málaga CF at the Metropolitano, a performance that set the tone without ever needing to move out of third gear. The first real jolt came in the 2-2 draw with Villarreal CF, a wild contest that exposed a few defensive cracks but also underlined the team’s growing attacking variety. Then came the statement result: a 3-1 away win at Sevilla FC, the kind of victory that suggests this side is already comfortable on hostile ground.

Now comes San Mamés, and a different kind of hostility.

Álvarez stays, David arrives, Sørloth out

The build-up to this game has been dominated by one name: Julián Álvarez.

All summer, the forward sat at the centre of a tug-of-war, with speculation swirling around a move to Barcelona. That noise has finally died down. The window is closed, Álvarez is still an Atlético player, and he is back in the matchday squad.

Illness kept him out of recent sessions, but he completed full training this week and is available for selection. For Simeone, that is a major boost. For Athletic’s defenders, it is another problem to solve.

Not all the news is positive. Alexander Sørloth, Atlético’s main centre-forward, remains out as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury picked up in mid-August. His physical presence and penalty-box instincts will be missed in a stadium where aerial duels and second balls often decide the tone of the match.

Midfielder Obed Vargas is also still sidelined, trimming Simeone’s options in the middle of the park.

The pressure on the forward line could now open the door for a debut. Late-window loan signing Jonathan David has been named in the squad and is in line for his first La Liga appearance in Atlético colours. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, his movement between the lines and eye for goal give Simeone a different profile to work with.

At the back, there is clarity. Robin Le Normand has served his suspension and is expected to walk straight back into the starting XI. His return restores balance and leadership to a defence that will need both against Athletic’s relentless pressing and direct surges.

How Atlético could line up

Simeone has options, but the shape of his likely XI is already emerging.

Predicted Atlético Madrid starting XI: Oblak; Llorente, Hancko, Pubill, Grimaldo; Barrios, Hjulmand; Simeone, Kang-in, Lookman; Baena.

It is a side that mixes energy and structure. Marcos Llorente’s running from deep, Álex Grimaldo’s delivery from the left, and the creativity of Kang-in and Lookman behind Baena give Atlético multiple routes to goal. Behind them, Jan Oblak anchors a back line that will be tested in the air and on the break.

San Mamés will demand intensity. This XI looks built to answer that call.

Kick-off time and how to watch

The game at San Mamés kicks off at 3:15pm BST on Saturday, 5th September.

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

An unbeaten start, a simmering atmosphere, and a side that suddenly looks full of ideas — Atlético walk into Bilbao knowing that nights like this define whether a strong opening month becomes a genuine title challenge.