Sevilla, sole leader of LaLiga, hosts Atletico Madrid in Matchday 3

There's something striking about the situation before kickoff this Saturday at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan: Sevilla, who finished just one point above the relegation zone last season, arrive at this match as the sole leader of LaLiga. Six points out of a possible six through the first two matchdays. No one else in the league can say the same. And now they're set to host Atletico Madrid, of all teams.

The match will be played on Saturday, August 29, for Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 LaLiga season, kicking off at 4:30 p.m. (Argentina/Uruguay), 3:30 p.m. (Chile) and 2:30 p.m. (Colombia, Peru and Ecuador). For those following from South America, the broadcast will be available on Disney+ Premium Plan.

The contrast in storylines is part of what makes this matchup so compelling. Luis Garcia's Sevilla is coming off a season to forget and now finds itself sitting atop the table, something that hasn't been seen at Nervion in quite a while. Atletico, meanwhile, remains unbeaten but hasn't opened with its usual authority: a draw and a win in its two outings so far, with the added pressure of improving on the fourth-place finish it closed out last season with.

How the two teams arrive

The Andalusian club visited San Mames and walked away with all three points thanks to a 3-1 win over Athletic Club. Isaac Romero, Chidera Ejuke and Oso were on the scoresheet for Sevilla, while Aitor Paredes pulled one back for the Basque side late in the match.

Atletico, for its part, couldn't take three points at home: they drew 2-2 with Villarreal. Giuliano Simeone and Marc Pubill scored for the home side, but Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno leveled things for the visitors. It's a result that leaves a sense of missed opportunity for a team that needs to reconnect with the top of the table as soon as possible.

For Sevilla, three names are worth keeping an eye on: Chilean captain Gabriel Suazo, a constant presence in buildup play and defensive cover down the left, along with Peque Fernandez and Robbie Ure, two players who give Luis Garcia extra options up front.

On Atletico's side, the list runs long and carries plenty of weight: Giuliano Simeone, Cuti Romero, Jan Oblak and Jose Maria Gimenez provide the usual backbone. And then there's Julian Alvarez, going through a moment that hasn't gone unnoticed by anyone: his relationship with the club and its fans isn't at its best right now, something the Atletico environment itself is watching closely match by match.

The most recent meeting

The last time these two sides met was on April 11 of this year, also at the Pizjuan, and the result favored the home side, 2-1. Nemanja Gudelj and Akor Adams scored for Sevilla, while Javier Bonar pulled one back for Atletico. That history, combined with the Andalusian side's league-leading start, adds even more spice to a matchup that promises to be a tough test for both teams.