The UEFA Champions League returns this week with a blockbuster clash in Group B, as Spanish champions Atletico Madrid host Liverpool.
Liverpool sit top of Group B after winning their opening two games, while Atletico find themselves second – two points behind the Reds and three points ahead of Porto.
Always in safe hands. pic.twitter.com/itdwS20vwQ— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) October 17, 2021
Always in safe hands. pic.twitter.com/itdwS20vwQ
Diego Simeone’s side beat Liverpool in the last 16 of the 2019/20 UCL campaign, adding an extra bit of spice to this matchup.
Atletico haven’t played since the international break, with a 2-0 victory over Barcelona coming almost three weeks ago.
They have lost just one of their opening eight La Liga games, picking up five wins and two draws along the way.
Despite dominating Porto on Matchday 1, Atletico were held to a goalless draw on home soil. However, they bounced back on Matchday 2.
Although Simeone’s men went behind on 20 minutes, they rallied at the San Siro – finishing the game with 65% possession and 22 shots.
Following Franck Kessie’s first-half red card, Antoine Griezmann equalised on 84 minutes before Luis Suarez netted a 97th-minute winner from the penalty spot.
Liverpool, on the other hand, head into Tuesday’s clash on the back of a thumping 5-0 thrashing of Watford.
The Reds enjoyed a whopping 77% possession at Vicarage Road. Roberto Firmino bagged a hat-trick, while Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah also got on the scoresheet.
Jurgen Klopp’s men remain unbeaten in the Premier League this term, having claimed five wins and three draws.
They are also the top scorers in the Premier League, having netted 22 goals across their opening eight games (2.75 goals per game).
In the Champions League, Liverpool came from behind to beat AC Milan 3-2 on Matchday 1 before crushing Porto 5-1 last time out.
Head-to-head: Liverpool have only managed to win one of their six meetings with Atletico over the years, recording two draws and three losses in the process.
Both teams scored in four of the six meetings, while two of the past three encounters produced over 2.5 goals.
Team news: Injured Atletico trio Matheus Cunha, Marcos Llorente and Jose Maria Gimenez aren’t expected to feature on Tuesday.
As for Liverpool, they are set to welcome back Alisson and Fabinho. Curtis Jones is a doubt, however, with Harvey Elliot and Thiago Alcantara both unavailable.
Although Liverpool are flying at the moment, Atletico Madrid is one of the trickiest away trips in European football.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Atletico and Liverpool will play out a low-scoring draw on Tuesday.