Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Preview

Tournament: UEFA Champions League
Date: Wednesday, March 4

Kick-off Time: 8:00 GMT

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu

Defending champions of Europe Real Madrid will lock horns against their city rivals Atletico Madrid in a highly anticipated Madrid derby in the first leg of RO16 of the Champions League. The Los Blancos are highly motivated to retain their crown and come into this game on the back of a thumping win over Manchester City in the playoffs and will be keen to maintain their momentum.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won three of their last five games and have taken 78 shots while scoring just eight goals. Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are the side’s top scorers in the competition with seven goals each while Rodrygo has four strikes to his name. Jude Bellingham and Luka Modric lead the charts with three assists each followed by Vinicius with two assists so far.

Atletico Madrid on the contrary have enjoyed a better season in Europe in comparison to their counterparts. Unlike their opponents, Atletico Madrid had secured a direct place in the last 16 after finishing fifth on the standings with 18 points. Diego Simeone’s side are undefeated in their last ten outings across all competitions.

They have registered 17 shots on target from 41 attempts while finding the back of the net ten times. Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez are their topscorers with six goals each followed by Angel Correa with three goals. Marcos Llorente has provided the most number of assists (4) while Samuel Lino and Griezmann have recorded three and two assists each.

Real Madrid Team News

The hosts have a long list of absentees who they will miss for this game and beyond. Eder Militao, Jesus Vallejo and Daniel Carvajal are the defenders who will miss the game for Real Madrid. Moreover, Dani Cabellos and Federico Valverde are the latest entrant to the list of absentees.

Atletico Madrid Team News

Atletico have a relatively fitter squad to choose from and will only miss the services of Koke heading into the first leg. They have been in a good form recently as they will look to give their arch-rivals a tough time.

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineups

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Courtois

Defenders: Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy

Midfielders: Diaz, Madric, Bellingham

Forwards: Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius

Atletico Madrid Predicted Lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Oblak

Defenders: Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan

Midfielders: Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher

Forwards: Griezmann, Alvarez

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Head-to-Head Record

The last five games have witnessed both sides win one game each while the remaining three matches have ended in a 1-1 draw.

Key Players to Watch in Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Kylian Mbappe will be the main weapon for Real Madrid in this game. He is known for his pace, technical expertise and experience. Mbappe adds a lot of depth to the home side’s attacking unit. With 26 goals and four assists, the French striker is the Los Blancos’ best performing player this season. Moreover, he possesses an xG of 2.0 in the last five games.

Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)

The Argentina target man has emerged as one of the best signings in the history of Atletico Madrid. Julian Alvarez has established himself as the face of Atletico’s attack and has dropped multiple impactful and match winning performances. His technical prowess and dynamic playing abilities comes in as an added advantage for his side. The World Champion has an xG of 2.2 in his last five outings

Prediction for Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

The Madrid derby brings with it a lot of drama and action. Everything is at stake for both sides and we expect this game to end in a draw because both the teams are somewhat on the same page in terms of performances across various competitions.

Predicted Score: Real Madrid 2-2 Atletico Madrid

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