RB Leipzig meet Atletico Madrid in the second Champions League Quarter Final at Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal.
RB Leipzig are only in their second Quarter-Final in three European campaigns having lost to Marseille at this stage in 2017-18 Europa League season, whereas Atletico are looking to reach their 19th semi-final across all UEFA competitions.
Team News
Embed from Getty ImagesYussuf Poulsen is set to be available for RB Leipzig after recovering from an ankle injury suffered towards the end of this Bundesliga season.
Ibrahima Konate however remains absent with a hip injury whilst summer signing, Hwang Hee-Chan is ineligible after previously representing Red Bull Salzburg this season.
Atletico will be without Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko after the pair tested positive for Coronavirus, consequently resulting in the pair being forced to quarantine in Madrid.
Thomas Partey is a doubt with a muscle injury whilst Caio Henrique is ineligible after not making the initial Champions League squad for knockout stage, due to spending the season in Brazil on loan at Fluminense then Gremio.
Stat Attack
- This is RB Leipzig’s first-ever meeting against Atletico Madrid in all UEFA competitions.
- RB Leipzig have scored at least twice in six of their last eight Champions League matches (W5, D2, L1).
- Atletico have progressed from six of eight previous Champions League Quarter-Final ties.
- Marcel Sabitzer and Emil Forsberg have both scored three goals across three of four Champions League games in which Leipzig were the home team this season.
- Atletico has scored in seven of their eight Champions League games this season (W5, D1, L2).
Prediction
Having both knocked out last season’s all-English finalists in the Last 16 before lockdown, I am expecting an interesting clash given that both teams would of had a rest.
Leipzig will be without their main star in Timo Werner following the striker’s departure to Chelsea, but if they play with the aggression and fast pace shown against Tottenham in March then I expect them to give Atletico serious issues.
Atletico however are a solid team who can play deep defensively when required with sharp counter-attacks as Liverpool discovered to their cost, which should nicely counteract the aggressive play of Leipzig.
This therefore will likely be either a scrappy contest or a thrilling end-to-end contest but given Atletico’s experience, I can see them just having the edge the longer this stays goalless.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 0-1 Atletico Madrid
Result: RB Leipzig 2-1 Atletico Madrid