Atletico Madrid will host RB Leipzig at the Civitas Metropolitano on Thursday to begin their European campaign with a bang.
Atletico Madrid are coming into the game against RB Leipzig on the back of three wins from their last four matches in all competitions, and they will be reasonably confident of grinding out a victory here.
Meanwhile, the Bundesliga giants are unbeaten in their last four matches, and they have picked up 3 wins in that time. The last time these two sides met in the UEFA Champions League in 2020, the German outfit picked up a 2-1 win at home. It remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset here.
RB Leipzig certainly have a quality squad, and they are no pushovers. Atletico Madrid will have to be at their best to grind out a win here. They cannot afford to be complacent against Die Roten Bullen. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team news and tactics
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid will be without the services of Reinildo Mandava and Borja Garces because of injuries. Other than that, they have a fully fit squad to choose from. The home side are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Jan Oblak in goal.
In the back three, Robin Le Normand will start alongside Jose Gimenez and Cesar Azpilicueta. Marcos Llorente and Rodrigo Riquelme will start in the wing-back spots, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
Rodrigo de Paul will start in the middle of the park alongside Koke and Conor Gallagher. The three players will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Antoine Griezmann will lead the line for Atletico Madrid alongside Julian Alvarez.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Le Normand, Gimenez, Azpilicueta; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Riquelme; Griezmann, Alvarez
RB Leipzig
The visitors will be without Assane Ouedraogo and Xaver Schlager because of injuries. RB Leipzig will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Atletico Madrid, with Peter Gulacsi in goal. In the back three, Lutsharel Geertruida will start alongside Willi Orban and Castello Lukeba.
Benjamin Henrichs and David Raum will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during transitions. As for the midfield unit, Arthur Vermeeren will start alongside Kevin Kampl.
The two players will look to add defensive cover and control to the side. Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons will start as the attacking midfielders here, and they will look to join up with striker Lois Openda in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba; Henrichs, Vermeeren, Kampl, Raum; Sesko, Simons; Openda
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their last five matches.
- RB Leipzig are unbeaten in their last four matches.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in their last four matches.
- 11 goals have been scored in the last four matches involving RB Leipzig.
- Atletico Madrid have suffered five defeats in their last eight UEFA Champions League meetings with German clubs (W1 D2), their only win in that sequence coming at home to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of last season’s quarter-final.
Player to Watch
Conor Gallagher
The former Chelsea midfielder managed to score on his first start for Atletico Madrid at the weekend, and he will look to build on that performance here. He will look to add physicality, drive and creativity to the side.
Atletico Madrid will look to control the tempo of the game, and Gallagher could dominate the RB Leipzig midfield with his athleticism and ability to contribute in all phases of play. He is our key player to watch out for, and it remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact on his first UEFA Champions League start for Atletico Madrid.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 RB Leipzig
The Spanish giants are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out of victory here. Both teams are in impressive form right now, and they will be difficult to separate.
Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig are likely to get on the score sheet here but the home team have enough quality at their disposal to grind out all three points here. A narrow victory for the home team is on the cards.
RB Leipzig are likely to put up a fight here and they will look to make life difficult for the home team. However, the difference in quality between the two sides should see Diego Simeone’s men rise to the top.