Villarreal and Atletico Madrid will square up against each other in the final matchday of La Liga to secure the third position in the standings.
Villarreal will look to bring an end to their three-match winless run when they host Atletico Madrid in their final game of the season at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday night.
The home team are third on the table with 69 points in their 37 matches. While they have done a stellar job in the 2025/26 season, the Yellow Submarine have not been in the best of form of late. Following their draw against RCD Mallorca on matchday 35, they have lost to Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano heading into this fixture.
In the game against Rayo Vallecano, Marcelino’s charges were clearly the second-best team on the night, and they will have to do much better to stand a chance against Atletico, who have put in some solid performances in the final phase of the season.
The Colchoneros are fourth on the table with 69 points in their 37 matches. A win here will help them secure a third-placed finish. Diego Simeone’s men have won four out of their last five league games, which suggests they will be the favourites heading into this fixture.
Following their defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo, Diego Simeone’s team have won 2-1 against Osasuna and 1-0 against Girona. While the game against Girona was not their best performance, they did get the job done. Atletico will be hoping for another positive result in Antoine Griezmann’s final game of the season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Juan Foyth (ligament injury). Apart from him, everyone else is available for selection in the final game of the season.
Villarreal will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Arnau Tenas will be in goal. Santiago Mourino and Sergi Cardona will feature as the full-backs, while Willy Kambwala will partner with Adria Altimira Marin in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Santi Comesana will start alongside Pape Gueye as the two central midfielders in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Tajon Buchanan and Alberto Moleiro will feature on the flanks for the home team. They will support the full-backs and look to provide width to their attacks.
In the final third, Ayoze Perez will line up alongside with Tani Oluwaseyi in the strike partnership. The duo will look to pounce on the limited opportunities that will come their way.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Tenas; Mourino, Kambwala, Marin, Cardona; Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Perez, Oluwaseyi
The visitors will be without the services of Jose Maria Gimenez (ankle), Julian Alvarez (ankle), Pablo Barrios (thigh), Nahuel Molina (thigh), Johnny Cardoso (ankle), Nicolas Gonzalez (thigh), and Rodrigo Mendoza (muscle) because of injury. Meanwhile, Robin Le Normand is suspended for this fixture.
The away side will also line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal. Marc Pubill and Matteo Ruggeri will be the full-backs, while Clement Lenglet will pair up with David Hancko in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena will feature on the flanks, while Ruben Vargas and Koke will feature as the two central midfielders in the centre of the park. The midfield quartet will look to ensure their team dominates the ball and controls the tempo.
Antoine Griezmann will start in his final game for the club alongside winter signing Ademola Lookman. The duo will look to add to their respective tallies in the final game of the season.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Pubill, Lenglet, Hancko, Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Ruben Vargas, Baena; Griezmann, Lookman
Lookman has had quite an impact at Atletico Madrid since joining them in the winter transfer window. He has been involved in a total of 23 matches and has contributed towards 13 goals (9 goals, 4 assists). His versatility has come in very handy for Simeone.
Having bagged a goal in their last two league outings, the 28-year-old will be eager to make it three in a row and end the season on a high. Lookman could certainly have a big say on the end result with his dribbling, creativity and finishing.
Villarreal will certainly be desperate to end the season on a positive note after failing to win any of their last three league outings. Marcelino’s men have been quite impressive at home in recent months, winning five of their last six games at Estadio de la Ceramica, and they will back themselves to trouble Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have looked much more stable in recent weeks and will be eager to secure a third-place finish with a positive result away from home. Diego Simeone’s men have already beaten Osasuna and Girona in their last two outings, and they will hope Antoine Griezmann can inspire them once again in what will be his final game for the club.
However, Villarreal’s strong home form and Atletico’s struggles in front of goal could result in another entertaining draw between the two teams. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
