Atlético de Madrid will host Girona in Jornada 37 of LALIGA EA SPORTS at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday, 17 de mayo de 2026 at 19:00 horas peninsular Spanish time, with Antoine Griezmann named in the starting XI for what sources describe as his last match at the Metropolitano in a red-and-white shirt.
The selection of Griezmann is the clearest headline of an otherwise complicated build-up: Atlético named a team despite seis bajas — Marcos Llorente, Giménez, Nahuel Molina, Pablo Barrios, Johnny Cardoso and Julián Álvarez are not available — while Girona arrive with cuatro ausencias and a reworked side. Diego Pablo Simeone put Griezmann’s exit in the context of the club’s history: "Ya el club lo ha representado en varios futbolistas de la talla de Antoine. Me vienen a la mente enseguida Fernando y un montón de chicos que han atravesado esa salida dura y difícil."
The fixture — often referred to in previews as atlético madrid vs girona — carries immediate stakes for both teams. For Girona the match is a must-collect opportunity: they need points to reach the final jornada against Elche with more margin in the fight for survival. For Atlético, the night is shaped by ceremony as much as competition, with sources saying Griezmann is the club’s all-time leading scorer and that the Metropolitano farewell is expected to be honoured by the club.
Girona coach Míchel has shuffled his side and warned of the dressing-room urgency; the sources say "Míchel made several changes to Girona's lineup." He framed his squad’s mental state plainly in Spanish: "Estamos listos en lo anímico y tenemos energía para competir. Sabemos lo que nos jugamos y la situación en la que estamos, por eso estamos listos. Stuani no ha entrenado y es normal porque continua con el golpe en la rodilla. Estoy convencido que dará el 100% en los minutos que esté en el campo" — a tacit admission that selection choices are being made around fitness and necessity rather than ideal preparation.
The numbers underline the mismatch of headlines and reality. Jornada 37 is the penultimate matchday; Atlético cope without six regulars, while Girona must navigate four absences — Portu, Van de Beek, Vanat and Ter Stegen — and field a patched-up side. Míchel left little doubt about the attitude he wants from his players: "tiene que salir a morder, que han de empezar sabiendo lo mucho que se juegan. Esa es la realidad." That urgency contrasts with the ceremonial tone surrounding Griezmann and with Atlético’s task of balancing farewell duties with competition.
The tension is simple and immediate. Atlético will stage a player farewell under difficult sporting circumstances: a depleted squad attempting to close a season and protect positioning in LaLiga. Girona, meanwhile, must convert the emotional fuel of survival into points while managing fitness problems and a changed eleven. The two coaches have acknowledged the strain — Simeone noting the club’s history in managing departures and Míchel stressing readiness despite doubts over Stuani’s training — but neither comment removes the central question of tonight: which need will outweigh the other, ceremony or survival?
How the Metropolitano remembers Griezmann this Sunday will be decided on the pitch as much as in the stands. Sources say his farewell is assured in memory; what is not decided is whether Atlético’s patched lineup or Girona’s urgent, altered side will determine the table heading into the final jornada. The game will therefore shape not only an ending for a player but the starting position both teams face on the last day of the season.
