Atletico Madrid will resume their UEFA Champions League campaign with an away fixture against fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
Both Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen are fighting for a top-eight finish as they look to secure a spot directly into the round of 16. While the German outfit are fourth on the table and Diego Simeone’s men are 11th, only a point separates the two teams.
The home team were on an incredible 15-match winning streak, but it came to an end in their last league outing against CD Leganes. It was a shocking defeat for Los Rojiblancos, who dominated the proceedings but were not clinical enough in the final third.
While they did not have the best of starts to their UEFA Champions League campaign, Atletico Madrid have won their last three matches in this competition, and they will look to build on it against the German outfit.
Meanwhile, the visitors have also been on an exceptional run of late as they have won each of their last 12 games across competitions. Die Werksel have established themselves as contenders in all major competitions.
Xabi Alonso’s team are already inside the top eight, and they will be looking to strengthen their position with another win here in the penultimate matchday. Bayer Leverkusen are heading into this fixture on the back of a comfortable win over Borussia Monchengladbach and will be confident about their chances. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s team will remain without the services of Jose Gimenez, while the availability of Alexander Sorloth is a major doubt. But, the Norwegian international could still be included in the squad.
Atletico Madrid team will stick to the 4-4-2 formation against Bayer Leverkusen, with Jan Oblak an automatic pick in goal. Marcos Llorente should return to the starting XI for this one. He will take charge at right-back, while Javi Galan will be on the opposite flank. In the heart of the defence, Robin Le Normand will pair up with Clement Lenglet.
Giuliano Simeone and Conor Gallagher will feature in the wide areas in the centre of the park, with Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios taking up a more central role. They will look to ensure they dominate the ball. Even if Sorloth is fully fit, he will still start on the bench, with Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann leading the line for Atletico Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Le Normand, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Griezmann, Alvarez
Bayer Leverkusen
The visitors will be without the services of Martin Terrier, Jeanuel Belocian, Victor Boniface, and Amine Adli for this fixture. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Atletico Madrid in this fixture.
Lukas Hradecky will continue in goal. Nordi Mukiele and Piero Hincapie should continue as the full-backs, while Jonathan Tah should partner Edmond Tapsoba in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Exequiel Palacios and Granit Xhaka will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to shield the backline and also try to control the tempo of the game.
In the final third, Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo will feature on the flanks providing width to their attacks. Florian Wirtz will be the chief creator, while Patrik Schick should spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack against Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Mukiele, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie; Palacios, Xhaka; Frimpong, Wirtz, Grimaldo; Schick
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen have an even head-to-head record in the UEFA Champions League, with both teams winning three games each out of the eight clashes between the two.
- Diego Simeone’s team have failed to win any of the last three fixtures against the German outfit (D1 L2).
- The last meeting between the two teams took place during the 2022/23 season, where they played out a 2-2 draw in the group stage.
- Bayer Leverkusen are heading into this fixture on the back of 12 straight wins.
- Atletico Madrid’s 15-match winning streak came to an end in their last outing against Leganes.
Player to Watch
Granit Xhaka
Xhaka has established himself as one of the mainstays at Bayer Leverkusen. He has been the go-to man under Xabi Alonso, and his presence in the centre of the park helps them have a stable base.
While he plays in a defensive role, the 32-year-old still has eight goal contributions to his name. If the Bundesliga champions hope to take anything from this fixture, the Swiss international will undoubtedly need to step up.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Atletico Madrid’s dream run might have ended heading into this fixture, but they will still be a force to reckon with. They have been playing some incredible football lately, which will cause serious problems for Bayer Leverkusen.
The visitors have won each of their last 12 games, and they won’t go down without a fight either. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 stalemate between two of the most in-form teams in Europe.
