How will Atlético Madrid line up in the season finale at Girona?

In the final match of the 2024/25 season in La Liga, Atlético Madrid (21-10-6, 73 points) will travel to Catalonia to face Girona (11-8-18, 41 points).

This match will wrap up a league season that once held so much promise but has ended in a disappointing manner. Though Atlético have clinched a third-place finish and will equal its 2023/24 point total with a win over the struggling hosts, it cannot be forgotten that the Colchoneros were winter champions and expected to make a strong push for their first league title in four years. Inconsistent performances and poor away form however proved to be decisive for Simeone’s men.

Atlético will look to ride the high from last week’s match, a 4-1 home win over Real Betis, to end the season on a good note and to keep everyone healthy for the FIFA Club World Cup next month.

Girona currently sit 15th in the table, a steep drop from its miraculous third-place finish a year ago. The Catalans will be hoping to bounce back from a tough 3-2 loss against Real Sociedad and give their crowd a strong performance after a dream participation in this season’s Champions League league phase.

Top scorer and veteran leader Cristhian Stuani, whom Jeremy Beren highlighted in his Football España column back in February, will be a player to watch for the home team. His tenacity in front of goal has produced 11 goals, and he is the top-scoring Uruguayan player in European football this season.

Team news

With the Club World Cup approaching and third place confirmed, Cholo Simeone is set to swap out several regular starters from the lineup. This is likely to include starts for several players who will not remain at Atlético past the summer.

Juan Musso is poised to replace Jan Oblak in goal, the Slovenian having all but wrapped up his record-breaking sixth Zamora Trophy. Thomas Lemar could start for the first time this season, while Axel Witsel has also been tested in this week’s training sessions. Pablo Barrios, who has been going through La Liga’s head injury protocol, is unlikely to play much of the upcoming match.

Though the Spanish midfielder will get some relaxation from the pitch this weekend, his life off it has been quite eventful. On Thursday, the club confirmed that Barrios has signed a contract extension to 2030. The academy product has solidified himself as a significant piece of the team’s future and has shown his creative quality throughout the season; his distribution and ability to keep possession has been vital in multiple matches.

In other news, the squad will line up this Sunday in their new away kit. The navy blue jersey features yellow lightning bolts down the side, a reference to the AC/DC song “Thunderstruck”, which is played before the start of each match at Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Possible XI: Musso; Molina, Witsel, Lenglet, Azpilicueta; Riquelme, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Correa, Griezmann.

How to watch:

Date: May 25, 2025

Location: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain

Kickoff Time: 2:00 p.m. CEST, 12:00 p.m. GMT, 8:00 a.m. EST, 5:00 a.m. PT

Available Streaming: ESPN+ (United States), Movistar+ (Spain)