Prediction: Atletico Madrid win
Best Odds: 13/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
Domestic football may be in short supply during the month of August but in its place, we’ll see the return of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The two blockbuster competitions will be transformed into a straight knockout tournament, filling the void that has been left by the absence of UEFA Euro 2020 this summer. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at what should be an intriguing quarter-final meeting in the UCL between RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid.
RB Leipzig
Leipzig started the month of July in impressive fashion as they ran out 4-2 winners over Cologne. They then drew 1-1 with Paderborn before returning to winning ways against Hoffenheim, but another draw was right around the corner against Fortuna Dusseldorf. They did then lose to Borussia Dortmund, but they managed to end their season on a high with a 2-1 win against Augsburg.
Team News
Werner will not be able to finish off Leipzig’s UCL journey as he has already completed his switch to Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Hee-Chan is confirmed to be missing this game as he is ineligible whereas Konate has been ruled out through injury. Halstenberg, Sabitzer and Poulsen are all fitness doubts.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico’s 2-2 draw against Barcelona at the end of June was nothing to be ashamed of, and from there, they had a rollercoaster ride of results in July. They beat Mallorca 3-0, drew 1-1 with Celta Vigo, beat Real Betis and then beat Getafe. They ended the La Liga campaign with a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad, and given when their season ended, you could argue they’ll be the fresher of the two teams heading into the quarter-finals.
Team News
The club came close to disaster when it was revealed two of their players, Correa and Vrsaljko, have tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully it hasn’t spread to other sections of the first team or club, with the only other question mark being the fitness of Partey. Elsewhere, Morata, Costa and Felix will all be battling it out for a place in the starting XI.
Factors to Consider
- Leipzig beat Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16 whereas Atletico beat Liverpool.
- Leipzig have won three, drawn two and lost one of their last six games.
- Atletico have won three and drawn three of their last six games.
- Leipzig have scored 11 goals and conceded eight in their last six games.
- Atletico have scored 10 goals and conceded four in their last six games.
Conclusion
We think Leipzig are going to make a real game of this, and they could even take the lead, but we don’t think they’ll be able to hold off the surge of Atletico for all too long. The Spaniards are much more likely to just grind Leipzig down as opposed to blowing them out of the water, but either way, it’ll be an effective tactic they’ll use to help guide themselves through to the final four of the competition.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid win
Best Odds: 13/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
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