Atletico Madrid is determined to secure a spot in the Champions League’s next stage, currently ranked 15th in the standings.
They are just one point behind the 8th-place team, which qualifies for the round of 16, and five points ahead of the 25th place, which fails to make the playoffs.
In the initial five matchdays, Atletico faced setbacks against Benfica (4-0) and Lille (1-3 at home) but claimed victories over Leipzig (2-1), PSG (1-2), and a dominant 6-0 win against Sparta Prague. In La Liga, they occupy 3rd place, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Slovan Bratislava has struggled in the Champions League, failing to earn any points. Currently sitting second to last, they have lost to Celtic (5-1), Manchester City (0-4), Girona (2-0), and Dinamo Zagreb (1-4), with a narrow defeat (2-3) to AC Milan.
On the domestic front, they have been highly successful, winning the last six Slovak championships and aiming for a seventh consecutive title this season.
Atletico Madrid will be missing key defenders Le Normand and Molina, as well as French midfielder Lemar, who is sidelined with an injury.
Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, who scored twice, including a free-kick, in their last Champions League game, is expected to pair with Sorloth, who has scored five goals and provided two assists in La Liga. Griezmann, with four goals and four assists in La Liga, could start after scoring as a substitute against Sparta Prague, alongside Correa, who has two goals in the league.
For Slovan Bratislava, important defender Wimmer and a long-term injured striker will be absent. Playmaker Tolic is suspended after his red card against AC Milan, and he has contributed seven assists in the league.
Winger Barseghyan, who was involved in scoring and assisting in their last Champions League match and is the top scorer in the Slovak league with 13 goals, remains their key offensive threat. Strelec, with eight goals in the league, is expected to feature, along with captain Kashia, who leads the defense.
Prediction
Slovan Bratislava’s poor away form, with six losses in their last eight away matches and 16 goals conceded, contrasts with Atletico Madrid’s strong home performance, having scored 20 goals and earned 18 points from a possible 21 in recent games.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 3-1 Slovan Bratislava.
