- Date and Time: Tuesday, January 21, 21:00 GMT+1
- Venue: Cívitias Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Atlético de Madrid
After 15 matches, Atlético de Madrid’s unbeaten streak ended on Sunday as Léganes defeated them 1-0 at El Butarque. The squad produced plenty of chances, notably through Antoine Griezmann, but could not pull the trigger. The Frenchman saw three significant chances denied by goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović.
Although not asked in the post-match press conference, the media questioned whether Griezmann should have taken the penalty. According to Relevo, converting penalties has never been his strength, with a conversion rate inferior to 50%.
UCL mode activated 🌟 pic.twitter.com/VT9jHKJexB
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 19, 2025
At the same time, it’s unclear who was supposed to take the penalty. It’s also true that Atlético have only had three penalties in their favour this season, all scored by different players.
The hosts claimed the first place in La Liga’s table since the winter break after defeating Barcelona 2-1. Still, the defeat against Léganes means they’re now second, two points behind Real Madrid, which won their match against Las Palmas.
Diego Simeone’s team had a difficult start in the Champions League, suffering a heavy defeat against Benfica (4-0) and Lille (1-3). However, this resulted in him shifting his tactical approach to a classic 4-4-2, leading the team to three victories.
José Maria Gimenez remains sidelined.
Bayer Leverkusen
Like Atlético de Madrid, Leverkusen rank second in the Bundesliga, four points behind Bayern Munich. Despite the 3-1 victory against M’Gladbach, not all news is good in the visitors’ camp. Forward Martin Terrier left the pitch injured in the 8th minute, and reports believe it was an ACL tear.
Xabi Alonso confirmed the worries in the post-match press conference. The Basque coach was looking to rotate his squad with six starters on the bench, but Terrier’s injury forced him to come back to a 3-2–3-2 as Hincapié came on for Terrier.
Back on #UCL duty! 💫🫡#AtletiB04 pic.twitter.com/lIbSbQuPoJ
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 20, 2025
This didn’t stop Bayer from dominating the game. Within the first quarter, they landed several good chances without success. After half an hour of play, Leverkusen scored through Granit Xhaka. The team took advantage of Gladbach’s mistakes by dispossessing them in a dangerous area.
The second half was more nerve-racking, despite Florian Wirtz scoring Bayer’s second goal in the 62nd minute. Ten minutes later, Leverkusen’s wunderkind assisted Patrik Schick’s goal, while Kleindienst pulled one back for Gladbach in the 86th.
Legends of the game coming together again. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/kNwhWMMPuX
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 19, 2025
This victory became Bayer’s 12th win in a row, with the team losing only once in the Bundesliga this season (2-3 against RB Leipzig). Leverkusen’s success in the Champions League is comparable, only defeated once by Liverpool (4-0).
Jeanuël Belocian, Matija Marsenić, Amine Adli and Victor Boniface remain sidelined.
Bet hereAtlético de Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
- Prediction: Atlético de Madrid to win
- Odds: 2.49 (22Bet)
- Score Prediction: Atlético de Madrid 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams are successful in their domestic leagues, but Diego Simeone is famously more experienced in the Champions League than Xabi Alonso. The clash promises a juicy battle in the midfield, with Rodrigo de Paul and Pablo Barrios competing against Granit Xhaka and Aleix García.
tlético de Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Leganés this weekend serves as a warning to wake up for a team that could have won the match but was too wasteful. One of the key ingredients to the squad’s success has been their depth. Simeone often brings a striker in the last quarter of the game.
Bayer Leverkusen can’t do this, and whether they can keep focus for ninety minutes in a high-intensity match is a question that will be answered on the pitch on Tuesday.
Atlético de Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen Betting Tip
- Pick: Alexander Sorloth to score
- Odds: 3.2 (22Bet)
Sorloth not only didn’t play against Leganés but was not even on the bench. This is a rarity, and in most cases, it indicates that the Norwegian will play the following game. Whether he’ll start or be a substitute, he is challenging to deal with in the air and is one of Simeone’s most impactful substitutes of the season.
In 18 La Liga matches, Sorloth scored 8 goals and assisted 2. It’s important to note the striker was only a starter in 7 of those, highlighting his importance as a super-sub. He hasn’t scored in the Champions League despite featuring in all matches (except one), which is why his scoring is our betting tip.
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