After an emotional victory against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Thursday, Atlético Madrid will resume domestic play on Sunday evening with an away game in Vallecas.

Atletico Madrid (3-2-0, 11 points) conceded its first goal in a month on Thursday but returns to LALIGA with its domestic shutout streak intact. For the first time since December 2020, Atlético has kept four consecutive clean sheets against Spanish opponents – a 413-minute streak that includes home wins over Girona and Athletic Club.

But Atlético goes away on Sunday, even if it’s a short trip, to face Rayo Vallecano (2-1-2, 7 points). Los Franjirrojos impressed in a 3-1 home win over Osasuna on Monday, coming back from a deficit and finishing with 66 percent possession. Center back Abdul Mumin scored arguably the best goals, and long-time Colombian star James Rodríguez made his LALIGA comeback after a four-year absence, coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute.

“Rayo is a complicated team. When Isi, Camello, de Frutos and Álvaro play, they are very fast,” Diego Simeone told reporters on Saturday. “I can’t imagine a different game than the one we usually experience when we go there.”

Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Atlético have only had two training sessions to prepare for the Rayo game and Simeone did not even test 11 possible players on Saturday. Nevertheless, El Cholo is likely to make some changes from the team that beat RB Leipzig when Atleti face Celta Vigo at Balaídos on Thursday before returning to the Metropolitano to host Real Madrid next Sunday.

These changes could include a debut for Clément Lenglet in defence, while midfielder Thomas Lemar could be in the squad and play his first competitive minutes in over a year. Rodrigo de Paul has been taken out of the squad to rest.

“The word ‘rotation’ is not good, (Sunday) is an opportunity for those who can play,” Simeone said. “You can’t keep repeating the same lineups, otherwise there is a risk of serious injuries. From a physical point of view, from the point of view of the medical team, we have to manage the health of the players in the best possible way. With health we have a team. Without health we don’t have it.”

Date 22 September 2024

Location Estadio de Vallecas, Puente de Vallecas, Madrid

Kick-off time 21:00 CEST, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET, 12:00 PT

Available TV/Streaming ESPN+ (USA), Movistar+ (Spain)