Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 UEFA Champions League | Quarter-Final
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THE FACTS
When is Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund on and what time does it start? Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund will take place on Wednesday 10th April, 2024 – 20:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What channel is Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund on in the UK? Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund will be televised live on TNT Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund in the UK? Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund can be streamed live on the discovery+
THE LOWDOWN
ATLETICO MADRID
Quite astonishingly, Atletico Madrid are still in this season’s UEFA Champions League. After half an hour of the second-leg of their Round of 16 tie against Italy’s champions-elect Internazionale, Atletico were 2-0 down on aggregate and veering into damage limitation territory but somehow pulled the game back and edged through the Nerazzurri on penalties.
Los Rojiblancos are in a bit of a precarious position in La Liga as they currently battle with Athletic Club in the top four and the UEFA Champions League qualifying places. They did, though, earn a hard-fought 2-1 defeat of Villarreal at El Madrigal a couple of weeks ago with Saul Niguez scoring an 87th minute winner.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Edin Terzic is under a bit of pressure as Borussia Dortmund as they head into the final six matches of the Bundesliga season not quite sure of finishing in the top four and earning UEFA Champions League qualification for next season. They backed up a victory over Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker by losing 1-0 at home to Stuttgart at the weekend.
Dortmund came through a Round of 16 tie against Eredivisie league leaders PSV Eindhoven, who are coached by their former boss Peter Bosz. They were excellent in the second-leg but perhaps reliant on an early burst in their performance as they were kicking towards the famed ‘Yellow Wall’ with Jadon Sancho scoring after just three minutes.
THE TEAM NEWS
ATLETICO MADRID
Diego Simeone remains without a couple of key men for this first-leg with Thomas Lemar still a long-term injury absentee. Netherlands international attacker Memphis Depay is out injured, whilst defender Mario Hermoso is a key doubt for Los Rojiblancos.
PREDICTED XI (5-3-2): Oblak; Llorente, Witsel, Gimenez, Reinildo, Riquelme; Barrios, Koke, Samuel Lino; Griezmann, Morata
UNAVAILABLE: Lemar (Injured), Depay (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Mario Hermoso (Injured)
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Borussia Dortmund still have two key first-team injury issues as both Ramy Bensebaini and Donyell Malen remain unavailable for Edin Terzic’s Bundesliga giants this week, whilst youngster Samuel Bamba is also out injured.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Emre Can, Brandt; Sancho, Fullkrug, Adeyemi
UNAVAILABLE: Bamba (Injured), Bensebaini (Injured), Malen (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE KEY STATS
- Atlético are in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the 12th time, and the seventh in 11 seasons. They have won three of their last six quarter-finals.
- Overall, this is Atlético’s 24th UEFA competition quarter-final appearance.
- Atlético are unbeaten in their last 17 UEFA Champions League knockout matches in their own stadium (W10 D7) since a 3-2 defeat against Ajax in 1996/97 Q-F *they did lose a ‘home’ match in Bucharest in 2021 so need to state own stadium.
- Atlético have only lost one match at home in the quarter-finals of a UEFA competition (P22 W15 D6 L1). The only loss was a 3-2 defeat against Ajax in the 1996/97 Champions League quarter-finals (2nd leg)
- Atlético have won five and drawn two of their previous eight UEFA Champions League matches this season (W5 D2 L1).
- Atlético have not conceded a goal in their last five UEFA Champions League quarter-final matches at home.
- Atlético have won their previous four UEFA Champions League home matches this season.
- Atlético are unbeaten in their last nine UEFA Champions League matches at home (W5 D4).
- Atlético are without a win in their last six UEFA competition matches against German opposition (D2 L4), since a 1-0 home victory against Leverkusen in the 2019/20 group stage.
- Atlético are unbeaten in their last 12 matches at home against German teams (W8 D4), since a 1-0 defeat against Dortmund in the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League group stage.
- Antoine Griezmann has scored in each of Atlético’s previous four UEFA Champions League home matches this season (five goals in the four matches).
- This is Dortmund’s 10th European Cup/Champions League quarter-final appearance. They have lost the last three, since 2012/13 when they defeated Malaga 3-2 on aggregate and then went on to reach the final.
- Dortmund have lost their last four UEFA Champions League quarter-final matches.
- Dortmund have not won away from home in a UEFA competition quarter-final tie since a 1-0 victory against Auxerre in the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League. Their record since then is (D3 L4).
- Dortmund have won only one of their last ten matches away from home in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds (D1 L8).
- Dortmund won the only previous UEFA competition knockout tie between these two teams, in the 1965/66 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, following a 1-1 draw in Spain with a 1-0 home victory. The German club went on to win the trophy that season.
- Dortmund are unbeaten in their last seven UEFA Champions League matches (W4 D3)
- Dortmund have lost only two of their last eight UEFA competition matches against Spanish teams (W3 D3).
- Dortmund have won their last two UEFA competition matches away from home against Spanish opposition (both vs Sevilla). A 1-0 victory against Atlético in the 1965/66 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals is their only other success in 18 away games against Spanish teams (D5 L10).
- Dortmund have won three of their last four UEFA competition ties against Spanish teams.
THE PREDICTION
For much of the last 12 months or so, it appeared that Diego Simeone had been adapting and evolving his style of football but that was almost entirely dismissed over two legs against Inter. There were times in that tie where Atletico should have been blown away but held on, gritted it out and were arguably the better side in extra-time of the second-leg. Borussia Dortmund are not a vintage Dortmund side. They came through a Round of 16 tie against Dutch opposition and the so-called ‘group of death’ in the autumn that featured just one side to have made a European final in the last 17 years. Dortmund have some inconsistent attacking players up against an Atletico side that will be focused on taking a lead, no matter how slender, to protect in Germany so a low-scoring encounter appears to be in store.
TIP: UNDER 2.5 GOALS
