Manchester United will make the trip to Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday evening, looking to claim an advantage in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
The Red Devils finished top of Group F to advance to the knockout round of the competition, while Atletico claimed the second spot in Group B behind Liverpool to ensure that they would be present at this stage.
Both sides would be heading into the clash with intentions of avoiding an early exit as both managers would see this competition as a means of making amends.
Form Guide: Manchester United
Ralf Rangnick’s men have not done well at putting away their chances of late. They have been able to create plenty of opportunities in their recent outings but their poor finishing has let them down regularly. Regardless, Manchester United have shown encouraging signs in their latest performances against Brighton and Leeds.
The 20-time English champions have picked up big wins over Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds in their last two but will now switch their attention to the Champions League and will be aware of the importance of picking up a positive first-leg result ahead of the return match at Old Trafford next month.
Form Guide: Atletico Madrid
Atletico will enter Wednesday’s contest off the back of a 3-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga, with Joao Felix, Luis Suarez, and Angel Correa on the scoresheet. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the Spanish champions have disappointed in the league this term.
Simeone’s men conceded a shock defeat to Levante last week but beat Osasuna 3-0 over the weekend. Although the scoreline suggests a resounding win, Atletico Madrid were on the back foot for most of the game. Osasuna enjoyed 63% of the possession and had as many as 14 shots as opposed to Atletico Madrid’s five.
How the match could go
Neither side is performing as expected in their domestic league and an early exit from the Champions League could prove disastrous for either manager. Going by the H2H comparison last time Atletico Madrid and Manchester United met was in the 1991-92 Cup Winners’ Cup. Atletico Madrid won the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
Manchester United have only visited Atletico Madrid once and that was in the first leg of the 1991-92 Cup Winners’ Cup tie and lost the game 3-0.
Nothing short of the ordinary is expected from both teams with really shaky seasons already which would make it hard to call who would go out on top after today’s game.
Betting Predictions
Draw
We’re backing the 1st leg in Spain to end in a stalemate as neither side looks to be in the best of form right now and are bound to be cautious ahead of a Champions League tie that could define their entire season.
Atletico Madrid have lost three and won three of their last six outings in all competitions, while Man Utd are unbeaten in their last six matches but three of those games have ended in draws. Both teams would view a draw as a positive result ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford, and we are finding it difficult to separate them here.
Manchester United is more than capable of finding the back of the net in Madrid, but Atletico will also expect to score at Wanda Metropolitano, so this contest could finish in a draw. Bet9ja have 3.15, 1xbet have 3.26 and Paripesa have 3.26 odds.
Under 2.5 Goals
We’re not expecting this game to produce a lot in the way of goals and believe the entire 90-minutes will be tight and tense. Atletico under Simeone are known for their strong defensive ability, though, that has been questioned this season, while five of Man Utd’s last six outings in all competitions have produced under 2.5 goals.
Each of United’s three draws in their last five fixtures have ended in the same 1-1 scoreline, so don’t be surprised if Wednesday’s clash ends the same way.
We expect Atletico Madrid to sit back and hit Manchester United on the counter here. We’re familiar with United’s defensive frailties and there might still be goals in this one. Bet9ja have 1.68 odds, Paripesa have 1.76 and 1xbet have 1.76 odds.
Anytime Goalscorer (Manchester United)
Ronaldo
Although the striker didn’t feature on the score sheet for United as they saw off Leeds in their previous PL match, he was on the score sheet for the game against Brighton which would mean he is back on form. He has the most goals for United in the UCL this season and he sure would be the one to score against Athletico Madrid here today as he has done in the past. Bet9ja have 2.75 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.40.
Fernandes
He seems to be getting back on his stride with consecutive goals in for his side he has found his goal-scoring boots. Today seems like another game where he would be called up to score for his team and make things happen for them. Bet9ja have 4.85 odds and Paripesa have 3.40 odds for him to score.
Anytime Goalscorer (Atletico)
Suarez
Luis Suarez has stepped up in the absence of Griezmann in recent weeks as he has scored important goals for his team. He scored an outrageous goal at the weekend and ten of his last 11 Atlético home goals have come after the 40th minute. Bet9ja have 2.85 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 2.50.
Griezmann
The Frenchman would be in contention to start here as he has been proven fit after suffering a muscular injury. His addition would be necessary for Simeone today as he has the most goals for his side in the competition, making him a very important asset to the team. He can score lots of goals and has the experience to do so here today. Bet9ja have 3.45 odds for him to score while Paripesa have 3.40.
Football Lover. All-round junkie of the beautiful game. Could be found watching football most of the time. If not he’s writing about them or making some punditry you don’t agree with. A certain bias for Arsenal and Santos FC.
