Porto vs Atletico Madrid
Porto and Atletico Madrid took one-month breaks after competing in the Club World Cup, and both teams are back in preseason action to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign. These two proud sides will convene at Estadio do Dragao this Sunday evening in what could be an exciting Club Friendly.
The hosts already have a headstart, as they’re fresh from a 2-1 win over Twente last weekend. The victory is a positive start for Francesco Farioli, who was appointed as the team’s new head coach following the departure of Martin Anselmi.
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid have yet to play a game since their premature Club World Cup exit. However, Diego Simeone’s side is favoured by the pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds because of the recent moves they’ve completed in this summer transfer window.
Learn more about these two teams, courtesy of today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
Veiga is out for Porto
Gabri Veiga was one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market after showing out at Celta Vigo. However, he surprised everyone when he took his talents to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ahli. After spending the last two seasons at Al-Ahli, Veiga joined Porto for €15 million this summer, and the 23-year-old made his debut during a goalless draw against Palmeiras during the Club World Cup last month.
Unfortunately for Porto, Veiga is unavailable against Atletico Madrid after receiving a straight red card during their 2-1 tuneup win against Twente, as he got into an altercation with Naci Unuvar right before halftime. Stephen Eustaquio is poised to take Veiga’s spot in the middle of the park this Saturday.
Samu Aghehowa remains as Porto’s main attacking protagonist, and he’ll be eager to show what Atletico Madrid are missing. The 21-year-old forward didn’t get enough opportunities at Metropolitano, and he’s coming off a productive 2024-25 campaign, where he notched 19 league goals and three assists in 30 league matches.
Diogo Costa is another player to watch from Porto, as he has built a reputation as one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the world. Porto’s recent addition of Jan Bednarek should also help their backline.
Atletico Madrid have strengthened their backline
After acquiring Alex Baena, Matteo Ruggeri, Johnny Cardoso, and Thiago Almada earlier this offseason, Atletico Madrid managed to sign David Hancko from Feyenoord and Marc Pubill from Almeria to beef up their backline, and the two newbies are keen to prove their worth. There’s a chance they’ll play as soon as this weekend, most likely coming off the bench.
Manager Diego Simeone will deploy his usual starters against Porto. Robin Le Normand, Javi Galan, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Nahuel Molina should form the back four to cover goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Koke, Conor Gallagher, and Pablo Barrios should comprise their midfield, and Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, and Alexander Sorloth should take charge in the final third.
Atletico Madrid aim to return to winning ways after missing out on trophies last season, and stringing together positive Club Friendly 2025 results is a step in the right direction.
History
Sunday marks the 11th competitive meeting between Porto and Atletico Madrid, and this is only the first time they’ll meet in an exhibition match. They’ve had their battles in the Champions League, where Los Rojiblancos have the slight edge in the overall head-to-heads with four wins, whereas Porto have three wins and three draws.
After Porto defeated Atletico Madrid on away goals (2-2 aggregate tally) during the Round of 16 of the 2008-09 Champions League, these two teams have exclusively met in the group phase since then. Porto won 2-1 in their most recent encounter against Atletico Madrid during matchday 6 of the 2022-23 Champions League group stage. The Portuguese side eventually advanced to the knockouts after topping Group B with 12 points, while Atletico Madrid finished at the bottom with only five points.
In last month’s Club World Cup, Porto and Atletico Madrid failed to advance past the group stage. Porto were winless in their three group stage games with only two points to finish third in Group A. Atletico Madrid finished third in Group B due to having an inferior goal difference (-1), despite having the same number of points as Botafogo and PSG.
Porto are fresh from their second consecutive P3 finish in Liga Portugal, compiling 71 points, 11 points behind champions Sporting. The Dragons haven’t won the domestic league title since 2021-22.
Atletico Madrid also finished third in their league last season at 76 points, 12 points behind champions Barcelona. Los Rojiblancos’ last La Liga triumph was in the 2020-21 campaign.
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