Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United: Both hosts and visitors looking to overcome frustrating hoodoos

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, UEFA Champions League

An intriguing tussle is on the cards as Atletico Madrid and Manchester United prepare to do battle, and both teams will be hoping to overcome their respective frustrating hoodoos with a spot in the quarter-finals beckoning.

Preview: Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United

Given the kinds of players both Atletico Madrid and Manchester United have in their ranks, this upcoming tie certainly would've made a very interesting final. However, one of these two teams unfortunately won't be getting there, as by the time both legs are played, we all should know who will be featuring in the quarter-finals and perhaps beyond.

Hosts Atleti, who are the reigning La Liga champs, secured their spot at this juncture despite having a rather underwhelming group stage campaign. Los Rojiblancos started off well, picking up a draw and a win over Porto and Milan, but things soon went horribly awry as they ended up losing three consecutive games, including both home and away to Liverpool. Fortunately for Diego Simeone's side, they were able to rebound by beating Porto on the final matchday to qualify for the round of 16 as group runners-up, three points behind Group B winners Liverpool.

Things haven't been going well in La Liga, either, as they come into this game sitting in fifth spot, and since the start of 2022, have been dumped out of both the Copa Del Rey as well as the Supercopa de Espana. In the league, Simeone's squad have struggled to achieve consistency, with each win then followed up by either a frustrating draw or a loss. Given that city rivals Real Madrid are now 15 points clear at the top of the table, it's looking pretty much guaranteed that Atleti won't be able to successfully defend their league title this time around.

With that in mind, and given that they're also out of two domestic cup competitions, the Champions League represents the only real chance at silverware for Los Rojiblancos. Of course, that will be much easier said than done. Not only have Atleti struggled in this competition, but they have not been successful lately when it comes to taking on English teams. Indeed, the hosts have lost their last four meetings with English sides, but they may be given a glimmer of hope as upcoming opponents Manchester United have had their own problems this term as well.

The Red Devils, who are now under the tutelage of German tactician Ralf Rangnick, an interim appointment following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, currently sit in fourth spot after battling to a 4-2 win over Leeds United at the weekend. It was exactly what they needed after some poor results, including being dumped out of the FA Cup by lower-tier side Middlesbrough. Manchester United's situation does mirror Atletico's somewhat. Like Los Rojiblancos, the Red Devils are well out of the title race, as they are 17 points behind cross-town rivals Manchester City. In addition, Rangnick's side are out of both major domestic cup competitions as they were eliminated from the EFL Cup last September by West Ham.

As such, the Champions League also represents a great opportunity for the English giants to redeem themselves, but like Atletico, they've had their issues. Despite topping their group by narrowly edging out Villarreal, United's record against Spanish teams, especially in the knockout rounds, is something that certainly will concern Red Devils supporters.

That being said, they do have a certain 37-year-old superstar who really enjoys playing in the Champions League, and who has a knack for scoring against Atletico Madrid. It wasn't too long ago that Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick (one of two in his career) against Simeone's squad in another knockout round tie when he was playing for Juventus, so it's safe to say that fans will hope that the player some nickname "Mr. Champions League" will be able to come up with another big performance on Wednesday evening.

Team news: Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United

Atlético Madrid: Both Yannick Carrasco and Felipe will miss out due to suspension, while knee injuries will keep Matheus Cunha and Daniel Wass on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Thomas Lemar is in doubt due to possibly having contracted COVID-19, but the team have been given a major boost with the return of key striker Antoine Griezmann, who's likely to be involved in some capacity (perhaps from the bench).

Manchester United: Edinson Cavani is a major doubt due to a groin injury, but Eric Bailly, who's missed out lately as a result of an ankle issue could make the bench depending on his results from a late fitness test. Youngster Mason Greenwood remains suspended by the club following some issues with a girlfriend that ultimately resulted in his arrest and an impending investigation.

Match facts: Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United

Atletico Madrid have lost their last four UCL matches against English teams, which happens to be double the number of defeats they suffered across their first 12 matches in the same competition (W4 D6 L2)
However, Manchester United have only won one of their past seven away trips to Spain in the knockout stages of the UCL (D4 L2)
Los Rojiblancos have only won four of their last 14 UEFA Champions League matches (D4 L6)
The Red Devils could potentially score their 500th goal on Wednesday, making them just one of four clubs to reach this milestone. The other three so far are Real Madrid (1001), Bayern Munich (759), and Barcelona (624)
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 35 matches against Atleti, and he's netted two hat-tricks in the UCL against Los Rojiblancos
Interestingly, Antoine Griezmann and Cristiano Ronaldo are the players who've scored the highest ratio of UCL goals for their respective sides (Griezmann - 4/7; Ronaldo - 6/11)