Atlético de Madrid have already done the simple part: they beat Málaga 2-0 to start their LaLiga season with a clean, controlled win. The harder part is always what comes next, and Villarreal at the Metropolitano is exactly the sort of fixture that shows whether that opening result was a steady platform or just a decent first step.
That is why the projected XI for Villarreal matters. Sports Illustrated’s proposed lineup puts Jan Oblak and Marcos Llorente front and centre, and it is the kind of selection conversation that tells you plenty about Diego Simeone’s thinking this early in the 2025/26 campaign. Atlético do not need reinvention after one match. They need continuity, sharpness and enough flexibility to handle a Villarreal side that drew with Racing de Santander in its opening match.
Why the projected XI feels significant
The key detail is not just who starts, but where. Simeone was said to want Alejandro Grimaldo higher up the pitch, which is the sort of practical adjustment that hints at a coach already trying to squeeze more from his wide players and full-backs. He could also trust Marcos Llorente at right back, and that matters because Llorente is one of the few players who can be asked to do almost anything without the team falling apart.
It also helps that Llorente added minutes in the league debut, while Marc Pubill played a few minutes in the Wednesday match. Those small details matter in August, when managers are still deciding how much continuity they can afford and how much freshness they need. Atlético’s early-season shape is not just about talent. It is about which combinations feel reliable enough to survive the first real tests.
Oblak, as always, is the easy part of the conversation. He gives Atlético a settled base and a level of certainty that few sides in Europe can match. The more interesting question is how Simeone builds around him. If Llorente is used on the right and the wide areas are pushed higher, the message is clear: Atlético want to stay aggressive enough to control games, not just wait for them to open up.
That is the real subtext of this proposed XI. A 2-0 opener can flatter a team if the next performance drops off. But it can also signal a side that knows what it is. Atlético have the early points, the Metropolitano behind them and a coach who tends to know exactly which buttons to press. Now they have to show that the Villarreal match is part of a plan, not just the next item on the fixture list.
So the projected lineup is worth watching for one simple reason: it suggests Atlético are not treating this as a game for guesswork. They are already shaping an identity for the season, and against Villarreal, that identity will be tested properly.
