Atlético Madrid, a regular contender in the Champions League, made it to the quarter-finals last season but were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund. This year, they kicked off their European campaign with a tight 2-1 win over RB Leipzig, but were then handed a heavy 4-0 defeat at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz.
Now, Atlético will look to bounce back, particularly since they are already out of contention for the Spanish league title.
Before the international break, they drew 1-1 in the Madrid derby against Real Madrid and followed that up with another draw against Real Sociedad. Their upcoming match against Leganés presents a chance for them to regain momentum.
On the other hand, Lille, while less experienced in European competition compared to Atlético, has shown they are a team to watch. After getting through summer qualifiers against Fenerbahce and Slavia Prague, Lille began their Champions League journey with a 2-0 loss to Sporting Portugal.
However, they responded brilliantly by defeating the reigning European champions, Real Madrid, 1-0, becoming the first team to beat the Spanish giants in nearly a year.
In Ligue 1, Lille also turned things around after a difficult period, securing back-to-back wins against Le Havre (3-0) and Toulouse (2-1), moving up to 5th place before a tricky visit to Monaco.
Atlético Madrid is facing some injury concerns ahead of their clash with Lille. Marcos Llorente, who was injured in their previous game against Benfica, is doubtful, and César Azpilicueta is also unavailable. However, Breton defender Robin Le Normand could make his return after recovering from a head injury.
Antoine Griezmann, who was rested during the international break, is expected to be back in the starting lineup. New signings Julian Alvarez (from Manchester City) and Alexander Sørloth (from Villarreal) have yet to make a significant impact.
For Lille, Angel Gomes, who missed the Real Madrid game due to suspension, is now available, but André Gomes is ineligible for this competition.
The French club also has several players sidelined due to injury, including Nabil Bentaleb, Ethan Mbappé, and Samuel Umtiti. Jonathan David, who scored the decisive penalty against Real Madrid, is set to start alongside Edon Zhegrova, who has scored three goals in Ligue 1 this season.
Prediction
Given Atlético Madrid’s history in the Champions League, it is noteworthy that their last 32 home matches have all featured under 3.5 goals. Lille has also played 19 of their last 20 away matches with the same scoring pattern. As a result, it would be surprising to see more than three goals in this game.
Prediction: Atlético Madrid 1 : 1 Lille
