Atletico Madrid will host Inter Milan in a UEFA Champions League clash at Estadio Metropolitano on Wednesday, eager to make their way up the table.
Atletico Madrid have been quite inconsistent in the UEFA Champions League so far, with two wins and two defeats from four matches ahead of the game vs Inter Milan this midweek. The home fans will expect a strong performance from the players we are. It will be interesting to see if the Spanish outfit can grind out all three points.
Los Rojiblancos have fared well against Inter Milan in recent years, and they are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive wins over the Italian outfit. Meanwhile, they have won their last five matches in a row in all competitions. They will be full of confidence and momentum.
Inter Milan were beaten by AC Milan in Derby della Madonnina this past weekend, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly. They picked up four wins in a row before that. The Nerazzurri are a quality team, and they have won all of their matches in the Champions League this season. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
The home will be heading into this game without Robin Le Normand. Atletico Madrid will shape up in a 4-4-2 formation vs Inter Milan, with Jan Oblak in goal.
Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and help out during transition. Jose Gimenez and David Hancko will pair up at the heart of the defence.
Giovanni Simeone and Nicolas Gonzalez will start on the flanks. They will look to protect the full-backs and help out in the final third. As for the midfield unit, Koke will start alongside Pablo Barrios.
They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park and break down the opposition’s attacking moves. Finally, Julian Alvarez will lead the line alongside Antoine Griezmann.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak, Llorente, Gimenez, Hancko, Ruggeri, De Paul, Barrios, Simeone, Gonzalez, Álvarez, Griezmann
Inter Milan
Cristian Chivu will be without Matteo Darmian, who is recovering from a calf injury, Raffaele Di Gennaro remains unavailable following a scaphoid fracture, and Tomas Palacios and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are out with hamstring problems. Denzel Dumfries is unavailable due to an ankle issue.
Inter Milan will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Atletico Madrid, with Yann Sommer in goal. Manuel Akanji, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni should start in the back three, hoping to keep things tight at the back.
Meanwhile, Carlos Augusto, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Petar Sucic, and Federico Dimarco operate across midfield. Augusto and Dimarco will start on the flanks, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch.
Barella and Sucic will add control and defensive cover to the side, while Calhanoglu looks to create opportunities with his passing and vision. Finally, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez are expected to lead the Inter Milan attack vs Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Augusto, Barella, Sucic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Key Stats
- Nine goals have been scored in the last five matches between these two teams.
- Atletico Madrid have picked up two wins from their last five matches against Inter Milan.
- Atletico Madrid have picked up five wins from their last five matches in all competitions.
- Inter Milan have picked up four wins from their last five matches in all competitions.
- In the opening four matchdays of the UEFA Champions League this season, Inter Milan were both the team with the most aerial duels won (69) and the best aerial duel success rate (69% – 69/100).
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
The Atletico Madrid striker is our key player to watch out for. Alvarez has been outstanding since joining the Spanish club, and he has been scoring goals regularly. The World Cup winner is an outstanding creative presence in the team as well. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net.
The Colchoneros will look to pick up all three points here, and they need their best players to step up and produce a strong performance. They will need the World Cup winner to make a defining impact in the final third. Inter Milan will look to shut out the opposition, but Alvarez has the quality to create space in the opposition area and punish them.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan
Both teams will be looking to pick up a win here, and this will be a close contest. Neither side will want to end up on the losing side. They will look to outscore each other, and there could be plenty of opportunities on offer.
Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are likely to get on the score sheet here, but Los Rojiblancos might be able to edge this one. Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez is in outstanding form, and he could make a big difference in the final third for the home team. A narrow win for the Spanish outfit is on the cards.
