European giants Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich will look to return to winning ways in the Champions League when they clash in matchday 4.
Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich will both be eager to secure all three points and strengthen their case for a top eight finish when they square up against each other at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday night.
The home team are 16th in the UCL table with one win, one draw and a defeat. They started their campaign with a defeat to Liverpool, but bounced back to win against Manchester United before playing out a disappointing draw against VfB Stuttgart last time out.
Atletico have been in fine form in La Liga, winning each of their last seven games, but their UCL form has been a concern. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 win over Levante and will be hoping they can build on it and get their European campaign back on track.
Meanwhile, the home team are 14th in UCL with five points in three outings (1 win, 2 draws). They started the campaign with a 5-0 hammering of Bodo/Glimt but have since played out draws against Viking and Arsenal. A win here seems very important for them, if they are to finish in the top eight.
While they haven’t been at their best in UCL, they are top of the Bundesliga and are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund. They were not at their best, and it did hurt them. Bayern will have to ensure they do most things right if they are to get a result against Diego Simeone’s team away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could develop.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Johnny Cardoso and Koke are both back in training but might not be risked from the start in this fixture. The good news for Atletico fans is that they do not have any fresh injury concerns, giving Simeone quite a few options to choose from.
Atletico Madrid are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Jan Oblak starting in goal. Marcos Llorente and Alejandro Grimaldo should occupy the full-back positions, while Marc Pubill is expected to partner David Hancko in central defence.
Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena are likely to operate on the flanks, with Pablo Barrios and Morten Hjulmand forming the central midfield partnership. The midfield four will look to ensure Bayern midfielders do not run the show.
Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez and Lee Kang-in should lead the line, combining movement and creativity to trouble the opposition defence.
Probable Atletico Madrid Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Baena; Lee, Alvarez
Bayern Munich
The German giants will be without the services of Bara Ndiaye (unspecified), Luis Diaz (hamstring), and Jamal Musiala (thigh) because of injury. Meanwhile, Michael Olise (knee) and Manuel Neuer (foot) are doubts for this game.
Neuer could still recover in time to feature, but Olise is unlikely to be risked from the start. If he proves his fitness, the French winger could be limited to a substitute appearance.
Bayern are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sven Ulreich starting in goal. Josip Stanisic and Konrad Laimer should feature as the full-backs, while Dayot Upamecano is expected to partner Jonathan Tah in the heart of the defence.
Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic are likely to form the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover while helping Bayern control the tempo of the game.
Lennart Karl and Alphonso Davies could end up featuring on the flanks given the number of injuries they have suffered of late, with Nathaniel Brown taking up the attacking midfield role behind Harry Kane, who is expected to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Karl, Brown, Davies; Kane
Key Stats
- Bayern have scored 38 goals in their last ten matches, and they are going up against an Atletico Madrid side that have conceded just once in their last five outings.
- Atletico are unbeaten in their last nine games, while they have scored in each of their last ten games.
- The Madrid-based club have been unbeaten in their last three home games against Bayern (2 wins, 1 draw).
- Bayern have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven games.
- The German giants have scored just once in their last three trips to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
With a number of attacking players out injured, Vincent Kompany will hope the Ballon d’Or winner delivers another masterclass of a performance and helps his team secure all three points here. The 33-year-old is off to a flying start to the season with 10 goals and eight assists in his 13 outings in all competitions.
He has six goal contributions in his three Champions League outings this term and will certainly be eager to add to his tally against Atletico. Given how good the Spanish club are defensively, Kane will have to be at his best if he wants to score and help his team secure all three points.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid will be confident of extending their impressive run of form when they welcome Bayern Munich to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Diego Simeone’s men have won their last seven La Liga games and remain unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions.
Their defensive solidity and home advantage could make life difficult for Bayern, particularly with the visitors dealing with several injury concerns in attack. Bayern Munich have enough quality to pose a serious threat despite their recent European struggles. Harry Kane has been in outstanding form this season, and his ability to find space and convert chances could prove decisive against Atletico’s well-organised defence.
The German giants have also struggled to keep clean sheets recently, which should give the hosts opportunities to score. Nevertheless, Bayern’s attacking quality could ultimately make the difference in a closely contested encounter. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the away team.