Real Madrid visit Riyadh Air Metropolitano tonight in the return leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético de Madrid at 21:00. After winning the first leg 2-1, Carlo Ancelotti‘s side will be looking to seal their place in the next round and place themselves among the eight best teams in Europe, but Simeone’s side are not going to make it easy for them.
Real Madrid have the advantage
Real Madrid won last Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu by 2 goals to 1. Rodrygo opened the scoring after three minutes, and Julián Álvarez scored a great goal after half an hour of play to level the score. In the second half, Brahim made it 2-1. A fair result in a very even match where both teams had their chances.
And that same level of play is expected in tonight’s game, where Atlético de Madrid will seek the encouragement of their stadium to turn the tie around and knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League and into the quarter finals.
Mbappé, not 100% fit
Real Madrid will be able to count on all their players except Dani Ceballos and Vallejo, and the long-term injured such as Carvajal and Militao. Kylian Mbappé, who did not train yesterday, has finally been included in the squad for tonight’s game, so Carlo Ancelotti will be able to count on the core of the team for the game.
Jude Bellingham, who missed the first leg through suspension and who pulled out with injury last weekend against Rayo Vallecano, will also be available to the Italian coach.
Atlético de Madrid squad
Atlético de Madrid have no injuries for the match. The only doubt was captain Koke, but he finally seems to have recovered from his injury. Therefore Diego Pablo Simeone has all his pieces available to face the second leg against Real Madrid, and will be able to select the best men depending on the game he is planning.
Ancelotti vs Simeone
The confrontations between Simeone and Ancelotti could not be more evenly matched. Last Tuesday Ancelotti took the lead, as they both had the same number of victories and defeats in their previous encounters. In the league the Argentine coach has a slight advantage, but in the Champions League Real Madrid have always been able to subdue their neighboring rivals, always managing to eliminate them in this competition. For Simeone there is no better moment than this to change the trend and achieve a victory that will take him to the next round. It will have to be by two goals or in the penalty shootout.
In the run-up to the game, both coaches have showered each other with praise. The Italian coach has highlighted the number of records set by the Argentine and the similarity between the two in how they see football. Simeone picked up the gauntlet and, although he acknowledged similarities, he said that Ancelotti was better than him.
Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid promise to put on a great show. The Madrid derby is synonymous with passion, struggle and intensity. This is magnified even more if the match is in the Champions League, and if it is a second leg to decide which team will be among the top 8 teams on the continent.
Real Madrid line-up against Atlético Madrid
- Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
- Defenders: Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Raúl Aencio, Fede Valverde
- Midfielders: Aurélien Tchouaméni, Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham
- Forwards: Rodrygo Goes, Vinicus Jr, and Kylian Mbappé