Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
UEFA Champions League
Date: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Wanda Metropolitano.
In the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United will face off in a heavyweight clash.
On Wednesday night, the first leg matchups of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 will conclude with two matches.
At the Wanda Metropolitano, Spanish champions Atletico Madrid will face English heavyweights Manchester United in one of the matches.
Both teams have had poor seasons and will try to turn things around by competing in the continental championship.
Atletico Madrid struggled in the group stage, winning only two of their six games and losing three.
In the end, they just edged off FC Porto for second place, finishing two points ahead of them, but nine points behind group winners Liverpool.
Diego Simeone’s team has been inconsistent in La Liga as well, winning just three of their last six games heading into Wednesday’s match.
Manchester United, on the other hand, finished first in Group F, a point ahead of second-placed Villarreal.
They made it to the knockout stage partly thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s talent, but have had a dismal run of form under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
They did, however, win their last two matches after losing three in a row.
The last time these two sides met was in the second round of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991/92, with Atletico Madrid winning 4-1 in the two-legged tie.
The Hard Tackle takes a deeper look at both teams ahead of their latest matchup on Wednesday night.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United Head to head :
- The latest clash between the two had ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Atleti had conceded two or more goals in their last three games against other English rivals.
- The Devils lost the final of 2020-21 Europa League, to a Spanish team – Villarreal.
- Two of their past three encounters against other Spanish teams had goals from both teams.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United Prediction :
Given how erratic both teams have been this season, it’s a tough one to call.
Atletico Madrid hasn’t displayed the defensive resiliency and assurance that they are known for, and their assault has been largely ineffective.
The win over Osasuna over the weekend will have boosted their confidence, but the absence of Koke, Yannick Carrasco, and Thomas Lemar could prove costly.
Meanwhile, Manchester United has shown indications of improvement under Ralf Rangnick, with their chance-creation increasing recently, and they will be confident in carving out chances against an Atletico backline that has been far from its best.
The visitors should be able to win thanks to Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes’ recent form and Cristiano Ronaldo’s record versus the Colchoneros. They are, however, likely to concede a goal.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United Team News :
Chelsea’s Reece James and Andreas Christensen both suffered thigh and back injuries in the draw with Brighton, while Ben Chilwell’s ACL injury is now confirmed to require surgery.
Thiago Silva faces a late fitness test, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is still recovering from an ankle injury, and Timo Werner, who tested positive for COVID, did not return to training before the Brighton draw.
In this depleted Chelsea team, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr may be required to start from the start, and Kai Havertz might provide some fresh legs up top, especially if Romelu Lukaku’s recent interview puts him on the naughty step.
Following his red card against Tottenham, Andy Robertson serves the third and final game of his ban, while Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita are all available ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Takumi Minamino and Thiago Alcantara are still out due to muscular problems, while Nat Phillips, Adrian, Divock Origi, and Harvey Elliott have all been ruled out.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso; Ziyech, Mount; Havertz
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Jota, Mane
