Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Inter-city rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid reconvene at Metropolitano Stadium with Carlo Ancelotti’s side boasting a slender advantage.
Kick-off date/time: Wednesday March 12th 2025: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 4:00pm / US PT – 1:00pm
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – CBS Sports
How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Atletico Madrid Preview: Alvarez key to success
If Atletico Madrid are to be successful in turning this tie around, they’ll need Julian Alvarez to maintain his brilliant form in front of goal recently in the Champions League. The Argentine striker has found the net six times in his last five European appearances and was his side’s goalscorer in the first-leg as Atletico went down by two goals to one.
But that game took place at the Santiago Bernabeu, this time Atletico are the side with home advantage. Whilst keeping out their fierce rivals will be a huge test, Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann are a strike-force capable of firing Atletico through.
Real Madrid Preview: Keeping discipline
Real Madrid came through their first-leg encounter with Atletico, winning by two goals to one through Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz. However, their failure to keep a clean sheet means that Real’s opponents are still very much in this tie and another big second-leg showing from Los Blancos is needed.
Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior is a forward line capable of scoring at any given time, which makes it so difficult for their opponents to overturn any deficit and Real will know that scoring the first goal could kill off this tie.
Atletico Madrid Team News: Muscle injury makes Koke a doubt
Atletico Madrid have been able to name a similar line-up with a couple of changes throughout the last few months and Los Rojiblancos will be expected too go with what is familiar to them this weekend. Koke was expected to be unavailable due to a muscle injury but the Spaniard is racing to get back fit for this crucial clash.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez
Unavailable:
Questionable: Koke (Fitness)
Real Madrid Team News: Dilemmas for Ancelotti
The poor form of Eduardo Camavinga has made things a little tricky for Carlo Ancelotti with the ideal being that he fills in at centre-back ahead of Raul Asencio but the latter should still start with Fede Valverde heading in at right-back so the crucial decision for Ancelotti will be between Camavinga or Luka Modric in midfield.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Unavailable: Carvajal (Injured), Ceballos (Injured), Militao (Injured), Vallejo (Injured)
Questionable:
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Prediction
Real Madrid are unlikely to sacrifice an attacking playstyle despite being ahead on aggregate. One goal isn’t much to overturn and with a red-hot Alvarez lining up for Atletico Madrid, they stand a great chance. But Real Madrid have a star of their own up top in Kylian Mbappe, whose second-leg hat-trick helped sink Man City in the last round.
Mbappe has racked up six goals in his last six Champions League games and should prove a nightmare to contain for Atletico. Expect his lightning pace to help the Frenchman conjure up some big opportunities to find the net and regardless of the final outcome, it’s well worth backing Mbappe to score anytime.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Tip: Kylian Mbappe to score anytime
