Diego Simeone is set to embark on his 12th Champions League campaign as Atletico Madrid’s manager, with his team welcoming RB Leipzig to the Spanish capital on Thursday.Both Atletico and Leipzig have had strong starts to their respective domestic seasons, supported by significant summer investments from their clubs. While there were whispers that Simeone might part ways with Atletico, the club’s board demonstrated their ambitions by securing several high-profile signings during the transfer window. This has translated into positive results on the pitch, with Atletico sitting in the top four of La Liga, earning 11 points from their first five matches. They’ve navigated a challenging early schedule, facing tough opponents like Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal, and Girona.Atletico’s home form in European competition remains formidable. Last season, they were the only club to maintain a perfect record at home in the Champions League, winning all five matches played at the Metropolitano. Their strong record against German opposition adds to their confidence, as Atletico are unbeaten this century when facing Bundesliga teams at home, with eight wins and four draws. Another clash against Bayer Leverkusen awaits them later in this group stage.UCL: Rudiger and Endrick save Los Blancos from stubborn StuttgartAtletico will hope that the new Champions League format can help them move past recent disappointments, as they haven’t advanced beyond the quarter-finals since their incredible run between 2014 and 2017, where they reached two finals and one semi-final. RB Leipzig was responsible for one of those eliminations, defeating Atletico 2-1 in the one-legged COVID-era quarter-final in Lisbon in 2020.For Leipzig, that win against Atletico remains their best performance in the competition, as they’ve struggled in their other five appearances, exiting in either the group stage or the last 16. Marco Rose’s side faces a tough challenge in this new league phase, with matches against Juventus, Inter Milan, and Liverpool, along with games against Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon and Premier League contenders Aston Villa.Feel the magic in the air 🪄 pic.twitter.com/nTzpWtIHSM— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 19, 2024 Leipzig will feel confident, however, given their strong start to the season, which included a thrilling comeback victory over Bayer Leverkusen, ending the German champions’ 18-month unbeaten domestic run. However, the international break interrupted their momentum, and they followed that win with a goalless draw at home against Union Berlin.Leipzig currently sits in third place in the Bundesliga standings, but with victories in their first two league games and progression to the next round of the DFB-Pokal, Marco Rose will be satisfied with their early season performance.Atletico’s squad has seen some fresh faces arrive over the summer, including 24-year-olds Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher from the Premier League. These signings have significantly lowered the squad’s average age, which was 31 during their second-leg quarter-final clash with Borussia Dortmund last season – the oldest squad Atletico has ever fielded in the competition.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Both Gallagher and Alvarez scored in Atletico’s most recent match, with Alvarez netting off the bench. The Argentine World Cup winner is expected to start in place of Alexander Sorloth in this upcoming clash.Atletico will be without Pablo Barrios (muscle injury) and full-back Reinildo (leg injury), the only absentees for the home side.Leipzig, meanwhile, are missing two key players for the trip to Madrid. Xaver Schlager is recovering from an ACL injury, and Assan Ouedraogo is sidelined for a few weeks with a knee issue. Captain Willi Orban, who has been serving a domestic suspension after receiving a red card against Bochum, is expected to return to the starting lineup. Orban may be partnered in defense by recent signing Lutsharel Geertruida, who made his debut at the weekend. Arthur Vermeeren, who joined Leipzig on loan from Atletico this summer, could also face his parent club in this match.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1TuesdayJuventus – PSV 3-1 (2-0)/Yildiz 21, McKennie 27, Gonzales 52 – Saibari 90+3/Young Boys – Aston Villa 0-3 (0-2)/Tielemans 27, Ramsey 38, Onana 85/AC Milan – Liverpool 1-3 (1-2)/Pulisic 3 – Konate 23, van Dijk 41, Szoboszlai 67/Bayern – Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 (3-0)/Kane 19 pen, 58, 63 pen, 78 pen Guerreiro 33, Olise 38, 61, Sane 85, Goretzka 90+2 – Petkovic 49, Ogiwara 50/Real Madrid – Stuttgart 3-1 (0-0)/Mbappe 46, Rudiger 83, Endrick 90+5 – Undav 68/Sporting – Lille 2-0 (1-0)/Gyokeres 38, Debast 65/WednesdayBologna – Shakhtar 0-0Sparta Praha – Salzburg 3-0 (2-0)/Kairinen 2, Olatunji 42, Laci 58/Celtic- Slovan B. 5-1 (1-0)/Scales 17, Furuhashi 47, Englels 56, Maeda 70, Idah 86/Club Brugge – Dortmund 0-3 (0-0)/Gittens 76, 86, Guirassy 90+5 pen/Man.City – Inter 0-0PSG – Girona 1-0 (0-0)/Gazzaniga 90 og/Thursday19:45: (4.20) Crvena Zvezda (3.60) Benfica (1.95)19:45: (4.40) Feyenoord (3.70) Leverkusen (1.80)22:00: (4.10) Atalanta (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)22:00: (1.80) Atl.Madrid (3.60) RB Leipzig (4.60)22:00: (1.90) Brest (3.60) Sturm (4.50)22:00: (4.60) Monaco (3.60) Barcelona (1.80)***odds are subject to change***
