Atlético Madrid finished last season on a high note, winning five of their last six matches to secure 4th place in La Liga, which earned them direct qualification for the Champions League.
In last year’s Champions League, Atlético’s journey ended in the quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund, who eventually reached the final. However, before their exit, they managed to knock out Inter Milan in the round of 16.
The team had a solid preseason, including a 0-2 win over Juventus, and their league campaign has started well. Under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid remains unbeaten, with draws against Villarreal (2-2) and Espanyol (0-0), and victories over Girona (3-0) and an away win against Athletic Bilbao (0-1).
RB Leipzig, on the other hand, had a tough draw in the knockout stages of last season’s Champions League, facing Real Madrid in the round of 16. Despite the challenge, Leipzig finished the Bundesliga season strongly, securing 4th place ahead of Dortmund, ensuring their return to the Champions League.
In preseason, Leipzig had mixed results with a win against Aston Villa, a loss to Wolves, and a draw with PSG. However, they comfortably progressed in the German Cup with a 1-4 victory over Essen and recorded back-to-back wins in the Bundesliga, beating Bochum 1-0 and the reigning champions Leverkusen 2-3.
Atlético Madrid has been busy in the transfer market, bringing in several high-profile players. Notable signings include Julian Alvarez from Manchester City (€90 million), Conor Gallagher from Chelsea, Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad, Clément Lenglet on loan from Barcelona, and Alexander Sörloth, who was the second-highest scorer in La Liga last season with Villarreal.
Some significant departures include Alvaro Morata (to AC Milan), Memphis Depay (contract expired), Stefan Savic (to Trabzonspor), Joao Félix (loaned to Chelsea), and Saul Niguez (loaned to Sevilla).
Antoine Griezmann has already made an impact this season with one goal and two assists, while Marcos Llorente is currently the team’s top scorer with two goals. Julian Alvarez is still awaiting his first goal for the club.
RB Leipzig will be without key playmaker Dani Olmo (4 goals and 5 assists in 21 Bundesliga games last season) and Mohamed Simakan, who moved to Al-Nassr. However, Leipzig has reinvested wisely, bringing in promising young talents like Geertruida from Feyenoord, Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge, and Ouédraogo from Schalke 04. They also signed goalkeeper Vandevoort from Genk.
Key players like Xavi Simons (8 goals, 11 assists last season) and Loïs Openda (24 goals, 7 assists) remain crucial for the team, with Openda scoring twice in their recent win over Bayer Leverkusen. However, Schlager, Bitshiabu, and Ouédraogo will be unavailable for the match due to injury.
Prediction
Atlético Madrid has seen over 2.5 goals in 14 of their last 17 Champions League matches, including a 3-0 loss to Leipzig. Leipzig has also been involved in high-scoring games, with their last 14 fixtures in domestic competitions featuring at least three goals.
Prediction: Atlético Madrid 2 : 1 RB Leipzig
