Atletico Madrid vs Sant Andreu Predictions

Given that they’re now generally considered one of the big three in Spain, Atletico will have been expected by many to go and hand out a handsome beating away at fourth division side Sant Andreu, but one goal is all that Diego Simeone’s men could muster, so there’s still work for Los Colchoneros.

1-0 away from home against a fourth division side doesn’t look like much, in fact, it looks like a poor result for Atleti, but with a second leg in front of their own fans to come, Simeone’s side simply did what they had to in the first leg. They went away from home, avoided conceding and gave themselves a slender lead that can be built on at home.

Back in front of the Wanda Metropolitano crowd, Atleti ought to be capable of progressing to the next round in fine fashion. They’re not known as a side that always blows teams away, but they ought to be capable of winning this one with ease, such is the gap in quality between the two teams.

In recent years, Wednesday’s hosts have made light work of beating lower-level teams at home in this competition. Last season, they got the better of third-tier Lleida by three goals to nil, while they also beat second division Elche by a 3-0 score-line prior to that. That said, they’ve only scored four goals in one of their last six home games against teams plying their trade outside of La Liga.

Furthermore, their performances at home this season, albeit against much better teams, don’t exactly suggest that Atleti will come out and try to score four or five goals on Wednesday evening. In La Liga, Los Colchoneros are averaging just 1.16 expected goals for at home, while they’ve won just two of their seven home games by two or more.

As for the visitors, well, it’s not as if Sant Andreu have been thriving at their own level, but they are rarely beaten badly, while they looked a reasonably well organised unit in the first leg. It is of course highly unlikely that they’ll go to Wanda Metropolitano and avoid defeat, though both their efforts in the first leg and the fact that Atleti, who currently rank 19^th in La Liga when it comes to expected goals for, aren’t the most flamboyant side suggests that they can perhaps avoid a complete embarrassment.

At the prices, the selection that stands out ‘Atletico Madrid to Win & Under 3.5 Goals’. For all the gap in quality is a large one, a much-changed Atleti side are unlikely to go all out for a hammering but will rather get the job done without exerting themselves, much as they did in the first leg.