At the end of last season, Atlético Madrid finished strongly, winning five out of their last six matches, securing 4th place and a direct spot in the Champions League.
Last season in the Champions League, their journey ended in the quarter-finals against Dortmund, who went on to reach the final.
However, Atlético managed to knock out Inter in the round of 16. The preseason went well, including a 2-0 victory against Juventus, and their league form has been solid, with no defeats so far.
Although they were held to draws by Villarreal (2-2) and Espanyol Barcelona (0-0), they secured wins over Girona (3-0) and Bilbao away (0-1).
RB Leipzig, meanwhile, faced a tough draw in the Champions League knockout stages last season, being matched against Real Madrid in the round of 16. Like Atlético, Leipzig finished the season on a high note, clinching 4th place in the Bundesliga, which earned them another Champions League spot.
Their preseason was mixed, with a win over Aston Villa, a defeat against Wolves, and a draw with PSG. They started their domestic campaign with a 4-1 victory over Essen in the German Cup and won their first two Bundesliga matches against Bochum (1-0) and reigning champions Leverkusen (3-2).
Atlético Madrid has been very active in the transfer market, making significant investments to strengthen the squad.
New arrivals include big names like Julian Alvarez (€90 million from Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad), Clément Lenglet (on loan from Barcelona), and Norwegian striker Alexander Sörloth, who was the second-highest scorer in La Liga last season with Villarreal.
Some key departures include Morata (AC Milan), European champion Memphis Depay (now a free agent), Savic (Trabzonspor), Joao Félix (Chelsea), and Saul Niguez (on loan to Sevilla). Antoine Griezmann has already made an impact with one goal and two assists, while Marcos Llorente is currently their top scorer with two goals. Julian Alvarez is still waiting for his first goal.
RB Leipzig will be missing their star playmaker Dani Olmo (4 goals, 5 assists in 21 league games) and Mohamed Simakan, who has transferred to Al-Nassr.
However, Leipzig reinvested in promising young talent, bringing in Geertruida (Feyenoord), Antonio Nusa (Club Brugge), young midfielder Ouédraogo (Schalke 04), and goalkeeper Vandevoort (Genk).
Key players like Xavi Simons (8 goals, 11 assists last season) and Loïs Openda (24 goals, 7 assists) remain crucial for the team. Openda also scored twice against Bayer Leverkusen. Schlager is sidelined due to a serious injury, and Bitshiabu and Ouédraogo will also miss the match.
Prediction
Matches involving Atlético Madrid in the Champions League have often been high-scoring affairs, with over 2.5 goals scored in 14 of their last 17 games, including a 3-0 loss to Leipzig.
Likewise, Leipzig’s recent matches have also seen plenty of goals, with all of their last 14 top-level matches featuring at least three goals.
Prediction: Atlético Madrid 2 : 1 RB Leipzig
