Atletico Madrid Face Promoted Malaga in La Liga Season Opener
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Atletico Madrid commence their La Liga season with a home fixture against promoted Malaga on August 20, kicking off at 03:00 HKT (Game FB2774, broadcast on NOW632). The rojiblancos enter the new campaign following their lowest league finish in over a decade, prompting an ambitious squad rebuild that has brought in several established internationals. Malaga, meanwhile, make their top-flight return after an eight-year absence, though they face the daunting task of visiting one of Spain's traditional powers with a threadbare squad beset by injuries.
Key Points
- Atletico finished 4th with 69 points in the 2023-24 season, their lowest tally in more than ten years
- Summer departures include Griezmann, Lenglet, and Nahuel Molina; arrivals feature Lee Kang-in, Morten Hjulmand, Cristian Romero, and Alejandro Grimaldo
- World Cup contributors Julian Alvarez, Marcos Llorente, and Alex Baena are back in training but likely to start on the bench
- Malaga earned promotion by finishing 4th in Segunda Division, then winning the playoff tournament
- Striker Chupete scored 25 goals for Malaga in the second tier last season
- Malaga's new signings Fernando Calero and Adrian Nino are both injured, leaving their defensive options severely limited
Why It Matters
This match serves as an early indicator of whether Atletico's expensive rebuild can restore them to title contention, while also testing whether Malaga possess the quality to survive their first season back in the elite. For Hong Kong bettors, the early season dynamics—combined with Malaga's defensive injuries—have pushed the goals line to the under 2.5/3 threshold, making the "small" wager a popular selection .
This match serves as an early indicator of whether Atletico's expensive rebuild can restore them to title contention, while also testing whether Malaga possess the quality to survive their first season back in the elite. For Hong Kong bettors, the early season dynamics—combined with Malaga's defensive injuries—have pushed the goals line to the under 2.5/3 threshold, making the "small" wager a popular selection .