LOSC Lille will look to build on their incredible win over Real Madrid when they hit the road to face their neighbours Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simone’s team will be looking to return to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League when they host French giants LOSC Lille, who surprised everyone by taking down defending champions Real Madrid in their last European outing.
Atletico Madrid have been consistent in La Liga, but the same cannot be said about their form in Europe’s premier club competition. They started with a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig but suffered a massive 4-0 defeat at the hands of Benfica on Matchday 2.
Simeone’s men will have to put up a much-improved performance to get the better of Lille. They are heading into this one on the back of a 3-1 win over CD Leganes this past week, which will surely give them the needed confidence.
The visitors have made a decent start to their Ligue 1 campaign. They are currently fourth with four wins, two draws and two defeats in their eight outings. They started their UEFA Champions League campaign with a defeat at the hands of Sporting CP.
However, they returned to winning ways on Matchday 2 as they stunned record champions Real Madrid 1-0 at home. It was a tough day at the office, but they got the much-needed three points, and this win will surely boost their morale heading into a fixture against Los Blancos’ rivals Atletico Madrid. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone remains without the services of Marcos Llorente, Cesar Azpilicueta and Robin Le Normand. Apart from the trio, everyone else is available for selection. Diego Simeone will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will start in goal.
The back three will be made up of Clement Lenglet, Axel Witsel and Jose Maria Gimenez. The central defensive trio will eye a clean sheet and will receive support from wing-backs Nahuel Molina and Javi Galan.
In the centre of the park, Pablo Barrios should start alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Koke. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings. Big-money summer signing Julian Alvarez could find himself on the bench as he has failed to fire at his new club. Meanwhile, Alexander Sorloth, who has been in fine form of late, should partner Antoine Griezmann up top.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Witsel, Gimenez, Lenglet; Molina, De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Galan; Griezmann, Sorloth
LOSC Lille
The visitors will be without the services of Tiago Santos, Ismaily, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, and Ethan Mbappe. Angel Gomes, who was suspended for the fixture against Real Madrid, is available for this one.
Lille will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Lucas Chevalier will take charge in goal. Thomas Meunier and Gabriel Gudmundsson will be the full-backs, while Bafode Diakite will feature in the heart of the defence alongside Alexsandro.
In the centre of the park, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Benjamin Andre will look to shield the backline. They will look to provide a solid base to push on from. Edon Zhegrova and Remy Cabella will feature as the wingers for the away team, while Angel Gomes will be the attacking midfielder behind star striker Jonathan David.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Bouaddi, Andre; Zhegrova, Angel Gomes, Cabella; David
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have only lost one out of their nine Champions League matches against a French opposition.
- No French team has ever defeated Los Rojiblancos in their backyard. Diego Simeone’s team have won six out of the seven games.
- LOSC Lille have won four out of the 16 games against Spanish teams in the UCL.
- On the road, they have only defeated a Spanish club once in seven outings.
- The visitors’ 1-0 win over Real Madrid in their last outing means they have been unbeaten against a Spanish club in their last three outings.
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann
At 33, Griezmann is still Diego Simeone’s go-to man at Atletico Madrid. The former French international has nine goal contributions (four goals, five assists) in the ongoing season. Not only is he in red-hot form, Griezmann has either scored or assisted in each of his seven home games in the UEFA Champions League which makes him the player to watch out for.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 LOSC Lille
The win over Los Blancos will surely give Lille the confidence that they can take down any team in Europe, and they will surely give Atletico Madrid a tough time in this week’s UEFA Champions League outing at the Metropolitano.
However, they still might not get the desired result. Diego Simeone’s team have much more quality in their ranks and given their defensive solidity, they are expected to get the job done. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
