2 Atlético Madrid vs 1 RB Leipzig
Atletico Madrid in UCL campaign start against Leipzig.
Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig face off at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano for a compelling UEFA Champions League opener, where the resilient hosts aim to extend their formidable home record against German sides.
Atlético Madrid
Atletico Madrid will begin their European campaign on Thursday against Leipzig in what will be the second meeting between both sides in Europe. A 3-0 victory over Valencia in their last league outing leaves the Mattress Makers unbeaten in La Liga and in second place [DWDWW] heading into Thursday's clash.
Atletico Madrid will be wary of facing a German side, having won just one of the last eight meetings against such sides [1W, 2D, & 5L]. The hosts’ only meeting against Thursday's opponents, Leipzig, happened in the 2019-20 edition of the UCL and ended in a 2-1 defeat for Diego Simeone's men.
However, if last season is anything to go by, Atletico Madrid can be confident of picking up a victory on Thursday. The Mattress Makers were the only side with a 100% home-win record in the UCL last season, winning all five games on home soil.
Furthermore, Atletico are unbeaten in their last 13 home matches against German sides [9W, 4D, 0L], last losing such a game in the 1996/97 Champions League group stage when Dortmund picked up a 1-0 victory. A 5-3-2 with Antoine Griezmann and summer signing Julián Alvarez in attack is expected for Thursday's clash.
Having opened his account for Atletico in the win over Valencia, Alvarez will hope to find the net in consecutive games. "We all needed him to score a goal, for him to be more relaxed, to be connected to what he likes... hopefully the goal will be the first of many," Simeone said after Alvarez's goal against Valencia.
RB Leipzig
Meanwhile, Leipzig dropped points for the first time in the Bundesliga this season when they settled for a goalless draw at home against Union Berlin last Saturday. The Red Bulls had won all three matches across all competitions prior to that, including an away win over BL champions Leverkusen to end their unbeaten run.
Currently third in the league with seven points, Marco Rose hopes his side can maintain their domestic form in Europe. The Red Bulls will be hoping to win their UCL opening match in consecutive campaigns, having defeated Young Boys 3-1 last season, though they have lost their opening match in two of the previous three seasons.
This will be Leipzig's third away game against a Spanish side in the UCL, with both of the previous two being against Real Madrid and ending in a draw and a defeat. A 3-4-2-1 formation with Loïs Openda in attack is expected to be seen against Atletico Madrid.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.