Atlético de Madrid host RB Leipzig on Thursday as both teams begin their 2024/25 Champions League campaign with a tricky test.
Diego Simeone’s side are never an easy match in Europe’s top competition, but they haven’t been as impressive in recent seasons. After two final defeats to city rivals Real Madrid in the mid-2010s, the Spanish giants have made it past the quarter-final stage just once since the 2015/16 campaign.
However, Atlético have made an encouraging start to the season, winning three of their first five La Liga games and keeping four clean sheets in the process. Things have been similar for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, with two wins and a draw in their first three outings.
Marco Rose has a strong squad with some impressive summer additions and Leipzig will be hoping to progress past the last 16 for the first time since 2019/20. Matches against Atlético, Juventus and Liverpool in their first three games in the newly expanded Champions League will test their credentials.
here it is 90 minutes guide to an intriguing battle in the Spanish capital.
location: Madrid, Spain
stadium: Metropolitan Stadium
date: Thursday, September 19
Start time: 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm
referee: Ivan Kruzliak (SVK)
WAS: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig head-to-head record (all time)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Atlético de Madrid |
RB Leipzig |
|---|---|
|
Atlético Madrid 3-0 Valencia – 15/09/24 |
RB Leipzig 0-0 Union Berlin – 14/09/24 |
|
Athletic Club 0-1 Atlético de Madrid – 31/08/24 |
Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 RB Leipzig – 31/08/24 |
|
Atlético de Madrid 0-0 Espanyol – 28/08/24 |
RB Leipzig 1-0 Bochum – 24/08/24 |
|
Atlético de Madrid 3-0 Girona – 25/08/24 |
RW Essen 1-4 RB Leipzig – 17/08/24 |
|
Villarreal 2-2 Atlético de Madrid – 19/08/24 |
RB Leipzig 1-1 PSG – 08/10/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
united kingdom |
Application TNT Sports 4, discovery+, discovery+ |
|
united states |
Paramount+, fuboTV, ViX, CBS Sports Network |
|
canada |
DAZN |
Simeone is without Reinildo and Pablo Barrios for Thursday’s clash with Leipzig but has the rest of his talented squad healthy.
Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher scored their first goals athletic against Valencia at the weekend after the summer moves, with the first likely starter against Leipzig.
Alvarez could replace another new recruit in Alexander Sorloth. The Norwegian has been on the sidelines for club and country since scoring on the opening day of the season and could be used as a substitute against his former employers.
Atlético’s central three will be tested by Leipzig’s attacking dynamos at the Metropolitano and will need plenty of support from attack-minded full-backs Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino.
Expected line-up of Atlético de Madrid against RB Leipzig (3-5-2): Clouds; Gimenez, Le Normand, Azpilicueta; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez.
Leipzig are without two midfielders for the trip to Spain, with Austrian Xaver Schlager and summer signing Assan Ouedraogo both sidelined. Arthur Vermeeren, on loan from Madrid, could enter the midfield.
Despite scoring four goals during the international break with Slovenia, Sesko is yet to open his Bundesliga account for the season. However, his starting place alongside Lois Openda and Xavi Simons in attack is secure.
The expected line-up of RB Leipzig against Atlético de Madrid (3-4-3): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba; Henrichs, Haidara, Seiwald, Sala; Openda, Sesko, Simons.
Although both sides have kept a total of six clean sheets in eight league outings this term, the Champions League often provides unparalleled entertainment. The natural pace of the competition is much faster than Europe’s domestic competitions and the neutrals can reap the benefits when it is tuned in to Atletico’s clash with Leipzig.
Both clubs have plenty of attacking firepower, with Antoine Griezmann, Alvarez and Sorloth going up against Simons, Openda and Sesko. Atletico and Leipzig will be comfortable playing on the counter-attack, which could force a penalty shootout between the two forward lines.
