Marseille to host Atlético Madrid in pre-season friendly at Orange Vélodrome — preview (Aug 13, 2026)

Marseille will host Atlético Madrid in a pre-season friendly at the Orange Vélodrome, a fixture previewed in this article published on August 13, 2026, ahead of the 2026-27 European season kickoff.

Clubs across Europe are using friendlies to rebuild match fitness and trial tactics before the new campaign begins; Marseille view the game as an opportunity for coach Habib Beye to test players and strategies ahead of their hunt for Ligue 1 honours against PSG and other French sides. Marseille arrive having beaten Athletic Bilbao in their most recent friendly, while Atlético Madrid were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in their last warm-up. The article also notes a controversial transfer situation involving Julián Álvarez affecting Atletico off the pitch.

Form lines listed in the preview show Marseille as W-W-W-L-W in all competitions, with Atlético recorded as L-L-W-L-W. The teams last met with Atlético Madrid winning 3-0, according to the source.

Projected starting selections supplied in the preview list Marseille as: de Lange (GK); Weah, Cornelius, Balerd, Emerson; Abdelli, Højbjerg; Gomes, Harit, Paixão; Gouiri. Atlético Madrid are shown as: Oblak (GK); Domínguez, Le Normand, Hancko, Martín; Vargas, Hjulmand, Koke, Barrios; Lookman, Mendoza. The piece states Marseille have their entire squad available while Atlético will be without Alexander Sørloth.

The preview singles out Angel Gomes, reporting he scored in Marseille’s victory over Athletic Bilbao and describing him as a technically gifted attacker who can spot passing lanes and execute through passes to create chances. Ademola Lookman is also highlighted; the article describes him as a Nigerian international known for close control, pace, agility and a strong work-rate that fits Diego Simeone’s system.

On Atlético’s management, the preview notes Diego Simeone has been in charge for around 15 years and that recent shortcomings have drawn criticism despite the club’s spending. The match is positioned in the preview as a test for both sides ahead of the new season.

The author predicts a 2-1 win for Atlético Madrid, giving a specific scoreline of Marseille 1-2 Atlético Madrid, and notes there is no official broadcaster or streaming partner announced for the game. The fixture will be played at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille, France.