The March 1, 2025 La Liga fixture will be played at Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium between Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club. Atlético Madrid welcome Athletic Club for Matchday 26. The match will start at 21:00 local time and unite two clubs with different styles while both teams pursue their season goals in the 2024-25 campaign. At the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium on March 1, 2025, the La Liga encounter will allow Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone to strengthen their position at the summit of the division. Athletic Club seeks to disrupt the odds and pursue European qualification under the reign of manager Ernesto Valverde.
This fixture emerges at an essential time in the current season. The recent Copa del Rey match exposed weaknesses at Atlético Madrid despite their current incredible 14-match winning streak run which started earlier this season. Atmosphere is lively within Athletic Club after their recent 5-1 victory against Atlético made them battle for Copa del Rey qualification. The pre-match analysis evaluates these teams’ current form as well as their tactics while previewing center matches as well as strategic matchups under the Madrid stadium floodlights.
Team Form and Recent Performances
Atlético Madrid have established themselves as a top power in 2025 by uniting their signature durable defensive approach with recently acquired offensive strength. In their most recent match against Barcelona for the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg on February 25 they exploded to a 4-2 lead but eventually suffered a draw due to last-minute conceding. The team has excelled in La Liga football as demonstrated by their 5-0 victory against Getafe followed by their 3-0 triumph against Valencia. Real Madrid established a new club record in January by earning 14 successive victories throughout their matches before beating Osasuna 1-0 on January 12 which continues to support their current momentum.
Statistical comparison
The defensive performance of Atlético Madrid has been sensational as they only allowed their opponents to score once in their last five La Liga matches before this match-up while their offensive produced more than two goals per game. The Atlético Madrid team draws power from Julián Álvarez’s smooth integration while Antoine Griezmann maintains peak performance alongside the midfield.core composed of Koke and Rodrigo De Paul. Currently leading La Liga presuming other league results, the team has a chance to extend their lead as they prepare to play Real Madrid in Champions League on March 4.
Athletic Club’s current resurgence has made spectators take notice of the team’s dramatic revival. This league campaign shows seven wins and one draw from their previous eight matches as Athletic Club surpasses most other teams for European competition spots with 43 points from 25 matches. The February 22 match victory against Mallorca ended 1-0 while Gorka Guruzeta scored Athletis Club’s only goal during the encounter. The Copa del Rey has been remarkable for Athletic Club after they defeated Atlético by 4-0 in the semifinals with victories of 2-0 at home and then 2-0 in Madrid as the away team. The triumph stands as warning to competitors while motivating them for future challenges.
The defensive foundation and counterattack strategy of Athletic are maintained by their tight defensive record and their threat in counterattacks produced by Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams. Their defensive structure implies no easy opposition while their style revealed itself by defeating Atlético earlier this season.
Historical Context and Head-to-Head Record
Because of Spain’s historic football golden age Athletic Club and Atlético Madrid developed bitter antagonism. The league standings between Athletic and Atlético match ten times as each team holds eleven La Liga titles. The home matches of Atlético Madrid under Simeone have been mostly successful due to the fact they lost only once to Athletic Club at the Metropolitano stadium since 2011. The 2017 defeat ended with a 2-1 loss. Atlético Madrid has recorded five victories in their last seven home matches against Athletic Club while most matches finished with tight score differences indicating the fierce competitions between these clubs.
Yet 2025 has flipped the script. Athletic won their first Copa del Rey tournament in 2025 by shutting out Atlético 4-0 in the aggregate score to bring an end to their four-season losing streak against their rivals. Escalante’s side has played Atlético 179 times and won 84 matches while Atlético claimed 64 victories and the remaining 31 matches ended in draws. The most recent matches between these teams produced nine combined goals which indicates this game could become another high-scoring bout tonight.
Tactical Preview
Simeone uses a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 formation depending on which system gives Atlético Madrid the best chance to succeed against different opponents. Koke and De Paul will operate as a midfield center at Athletic Madrid to prevent Athletic Club’s attacks during the match. The defensive lineup of José María Giménez alongside César Azpilicueta (or Reinildo Mandava) will guard the defense as their goalkeeper Jan Oblak continues to serve as their important last line of defense. Griezmann will utilize his prolific attacking mind (anticipated to reach 30 assists and goals this season) together with Álvarez’s goal-scoring capabilities as Atlético Madrid targets Athletic Club’s weak points through set pieces.
The manager has guided Atlético Madrid toward a more possession-oriented strategy this season although his team traditionally depended on fast counterattacks. When Athletic pushes with their speed the coach might decide to position his defense more deeply to draw opposing teams forward before striking.
Valverde uses a 4-2-3-1 formation at Athletic Club as it produces both defensive stability and attacking velocity. The defensive core of Dani Vivian and Aitor Paredes partners with full-backs Óscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche who provide going forward dangerous attacks. Mikel Vesga and Ander Herrera defend the backline when able to protect the defense which allows Oihan Sancet to move forward for attacking opportunities. Iñaki Williams and Guruzeta and Nico Williams form an attacking trio which converts turnovers into high-speed counterattacks to assail opponents especially as Atlético discovered at La Rosaleda in February.
During this game Athletic plans to give away control of the ball by accepting defensive pressure that they will use to launch quick counterattacks. During the match Guruzeta will lead Athletic’s aerial attacking efforts while testing Atlético’s defense that struggled against Barcelona’s physical style.
Key Battles
- Griezmann joins the attack with precise passing from deep positions to face the strong defending style of Vivian. The Athletic center-back shows his strong form but standing against Griezmann’s unique skills remains extremely difficult.
- Nico Williams destroyed Atlético with his quickness in the Copa del Rey so right-back Molina must exercise caution to remain effective.
- De Paul vs. Sancet: A midfield tussle of tenacity versus flair. De Paul intends to break up Sancet by stripping him of dangerous opportunities through his ball-handling capabilities.
Team News and Injuries
Morata may be starting for Atlético Madrid against Real Betis despite recovering from his injury since the Barcelona match because Alvarez continues to display better form than him. Pablo Barrios faces a doubtful return due to his hamstring injury so Conor Gallagher has the chance to shine in his place. In defense the experienced Azpilicueta has better chances of starting games instead of younger replacements but Oblak remains a confirmed starter.
The calf strain injury of Ander Herrera in Athletic Sports has depleted their already thin central midfielder roster. Guruzeta remains injured and forced to leave the field against Mallorca but medical staff expect he will return before Álex Berenguer joins the match. The Williams siblings Iñaki and Nico have secured their positions because they maintain top fitness levels which benefit Valverde.
Managers’ Mindsets
Simeone’s intensity is palpable. Right after Barcelona he cheered his team for their toughness yet ordered them to maintain attention for the upcoming match. We lost to Athletic Madrid before though tonight they play under our roof he claimed. His plan for success combines the anger of revenge with preventing La Liga rivals from catching up to him.
The coach Valverde leads his team with composure while understanding their full capabilities to the fullest. The manager declared that Atlético Madrid is currently wounded which makes them an extremely dangerous opponent. Our team has already defeated Atlético Madrid two times this season so we have what it takes to repeat the victory. His plan: frustrate, then strike.
Prediction
The hostility at the Metropolitano stadium has proved beneficial for Atlético because they have started their home league series with twelve consecutive victories. Athletic presents a genuine danger to Atlético Madrid with their swift style of play combined with their winning strategies from the Copa del Rey. Griezmann’s magic and Álvarez’s finishing abilities create a strong chance of victory for Atlético de Madrid but Athletic Bilbao’s counterattack involving Nico Williams presents a real challenge to the final result. Both teams will engage in a tight contest but Atlético will seize the final victory late in the match.
The final score prediction reveals Atlético Madrid winning against Athletic Club by 2-1.
Conclusion
The upcoming match represents both a historic contest and an event that unites chance for victory with past successes and an opportunity to reclaim lost dignity. The upcoming match serves Atlético Madrid as their opportunity to retrieve their lost dignity while enhancing their position as title contenders. Athletic Club wants to show their rebirth in football is genuine. The Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium will host a match worthy of La Liga level on March 1, 2025. Bring it on.
