UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid: team news, prediction
One of the most watering fixtures of this round is Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid, as the UEFA Champions League reaches its knockout stage as every club looks forward to reaching the quarter-finals.
Defending champions, Real Madrid will welcome Atletico in the first leg of the round of 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 15-time European champion and current holders, have always gotten the better of Atletico in the Champions League over the years, beating them in the last two finals that they met each other.
Real Madrid are coming into this game following their 2-1 defeat against Real Betis on Saturday in LaLiga which they must get over when they host Atletico Madrid. However, the upside for Atletico is that Simeone’s men are yet to lose a match this season against either Real or Barcelona, while in the league, they beat the Catalan club 2-1 in Barcelona and drew 1-1 in both games they played against Real.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid (Head to Head):
The last time both sides met in the Champions League, Atletico were eliminated in the semifinals in 2017. They also lost to Madrid in the finals in 2014 and 2016, and in the 2015 quarterfinals.
Atletico has won only three of its 10 meetings against Madrid in UEFA competitions, with five ending in defeats and two in draws. However, Atletico has not lost to Real in four consecutive matches, and eliminated the city rival in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey last season.
Real Madrid team news:
The Galaticos will be without Jude Bellingham who received a yellow card against Manchester City. Federico Valverde is expected to return despite missing the defeat by Betis, although Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos remain sidelined for a long time.
Atletico Madrid team news:
Cesar Azpilicueta and Koke are both set to remain sidelined by leg and thigh problems, respectively.
Prediction:
We predict a 1-1 scoreline
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