After a month and a half of pre-season work, our team makes its debut in official competition this Sunday at 22:15 against Alavés in the Vicente Calderón (buy your ticket here).

It will be the seventh clash of the 16/17 Atlético after a summer in which we have achieved victories against Numancia (0-2), Tottenham (0-1), Crotone  (0-2) and Nigeria All Stars (2-1); a tie against Cádiz (1-1) and a single defeat against Melbourne Victory (1-0).

Our players will try to add their fifth win against Alavés at the Vicente Calderón. Up till now, the six games played by both teams at Atlético’s home turf have left four home wins, a draw and a defeat.

Simeone will not be able to count with Griezmann for the game, due to a ban, and Moyá, due to injury. The Argentinian coach has called a squad list of 19 men.

The rival
Brand new champion of the Second Division in the past year, Deportivo Alavés returns to the highest flight of Spanish football, ten years later.

Regarding the squad that achieved its promotion, the team from Vitoria shows numerous novelties, starting with its manager. Instead of Pepe Bordalás, the Argentinian coach Mauricio Pellegrino takes command of the Basque squad, a team where our left-back Theo Hernández - who will not be able to play the match - arrives loaned.

Alongside the French, the following players have also been signed: goalkeeper Adrián Ortolá; defenders Alexis Ruano, Carlos Vigaray, Zouhair Feddal and Aleksandar Pantic; midfielders Daniel Torres, Nendad Krsticic, Víctor Camarasa, Edgar Méndez, Manu García and Marcos Llorente; winger Ibai Gómez and forwards Christian Santos, Deyverson Silva, Cristian Espinoza and Rubén Sobrino, for a total of 17 new players.

In the pre-season, Alavés had goalless ties against Real Unión, UD Logroñés and Zaragoza, tied 1-1 against Valladolid and won Huesca by 2-1 and Sporting de Gijon by 1-0.