Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig

Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig are set to square off in an exciting Champions League day-one fixture at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Gearing up for their 12th consecutive appearance in the Champions League proper under long-serving boss Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid bid to improve on last season’s quarter-final exit and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2016/17. There’s no better way to embark on that mission than the Metropolitano Stadium, which has stood firm in the last two Champions League campaigns, denying visiting sides a single victory. Speaking of the Metropolitano’s air of invincibility, ‘Los Rojiblancos’ have gone unbeaten in all three La Liga home games this season (W2, D1), netting six unanswered goals to highlight their unparalleled strength on home turf. As if that’s not encouraging enough, the Spaniards boast a jaw-dropping unbeaten record against German visitors in all UEFA competitions this century (W8, D4).

Meanwhile, visiting RB Leipzig return to Madrid less than a year after Atletico’s bitter rivals Real Madrid proved their undoing in last season’s Champions League Round of 16. However, the German giants have fond memories of their only previous meeting with Atletico, beating them 2-1 behind closed doors in the 2019/20 Champions League quarter-finals. Though that match took place on neutral ground, Leipzig will be confident of replicating that success after getting their Bundesliga campaign off to a flying start (W3, D1). Marco Rose’s troops have been fierce travelers in recent Champions League campaigns, securing knockout progressions in the last two editions, largely thanks to winning twice on their three group-stage road trips of each season (W2, L1). Adding to their optimism, they’ve not lost a game on hostile turf since going down 2-1 against Bayern Munich in February.