UEFA Champions League: Atletico and Man City to settle quarterfinal tie in highly-anticipated 2nd leg

Topics: TV Schedules, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, UEFA Champions League

With the Cityzens boasting a 1-0 lead, Guardiola's men have one feet in the semifinals. However, one would be foolish to count out Simeone's side.

Preview

The second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals is in full swing, with the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea tie coming to a wrap on Tuesday. Wednesday brings the tournament's other stellar match-up, with Atletico Madrid hosting Manchester City with the sole goal of booking a showdown with Los Blancos in the semifinals.

Unfortunately, that will be no easy feat for Diego Simeone's men. Los Rojiblancos might have eliminated one Manchester giant, defeating Manchester United 2-1 on aggregate in the round of 16, but Guardiola's men are a far tougher opposition to handle.

This was evident for all to see in the first leg. Despite outplaying the Red Devils on occasion, Atletico were willing to relinquish possession to the defending Premier League giants, with the plan from El Cholo being clear: frustrate the opposition and hit them on the break.

Unfortunately, Joao Felix and Co. did not come away from the Etihad Stadium with a draw or victory, instead losing 1-0 thanks to a brilliant Kevin de Bruyne goal. With the away goal being scrapped, the Madrid giants will have to win at home by a two-goal margin if they wish to make the semifinals and avoid extra time.

Unfortunately for the home side, form has slowly slipped away from their grip. They followed up that 1-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium with another one-nil loss, this time in La Liga away to Mallorca, a side battling relegation. Will Atletico Madrid bounce back and manage to eliminate Manchester City or will this be the end of the road for the Spanish champions' journey?

The Cityzens will fight to make the latter true. Yes, the English giants were frustrated by a team willing to defend their own third in two banks of five, but as Pep showed with his second-half introduction of Phil Foden from the bench, City are blessed with several talented players who can change a game in an instant.

However, it should be noted that De Bruyne and Co. enter this game on the back of a disappointing result as well, albeit not as disappointing as Atletico's. The Premier League leaders hosted bitter rivals Liverpool on Sunday in the standout clash of the English top-flight season, as the country's top two teams went head-to-head in a thrilling 90 minutes of football.

However, despite dominating the first half and enjoying great spells in the second 45 minutes, City were unable to beat Klopp's men and pull four points ahead in the title race, instead drawing 2-2. Goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane cancelled out De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus' efforts, with Mahrez missing a lovely opportunity to win the tie in stoppage time.

Nonetheless, the Cityzens remain unbeaten in their last nine outings, although three of those games ended in draws. Last year, Guardiola's men made it all the way to the final, and in their attempt to finally end their wait for UEFA Champions League success, victory over Atletico is needed. Don't miss this tie!

Team news

Atletico: Carrasco has seen out his suspension and is thus available for selection once more. However, Simeone will be without two key players in the form of Hector Herrera and Jose Gimenez as both men remain sidelined. Joao Felix, Renan Lodi, and Sime Vrsaljko were all dropped to the bench in the recent loss to Mallorca, but expect the aforementioned trio to return to the lineup for this crucial showdown.

Manchester City: Ruben Dias and Cole Palmer were two concerns leading up to this tie and while the pair have returned to training, Pep is unlikely to risk the two. Kyle Walker, on the other hand, has completed his three-match suspension and is available for selection. Phil Foden could start after his brilliant cameo in the first leg, but it will be interesting to see who drops out if the Englishman were to make the starting XI.

Key stats

This will be only the second encounter between these two clubs, meaning Manchester City so far boast a 100 percent record against the Spanish giants.
The Cityzens have not conceded a single goal in their last three UEFA Champions League ties and will look to make it four clean sheets in a row when they visit Madrid.
Surprisingly, Atletico have not won any of their last six home games in this competition, drawing four and losing two.
Los Rojiblancos aim to reach the semifinals in this European competition for the first time since 2016-17.