Atletico Madrid will be looking to stay unbeaten when they host Celtic in the Champions League. Atleti had to fight hard for a 2-2 draw in the rematch from last month. At the halfway mark, they are still within one point of the top spot.
Preview (Atletico Madrid vs. Celtic)
Last time out in Group E, Atletico Madrid looked to in-form attackers Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata for inspiration after having to come from behind twice to gain a point at Celtic Park. However, they lost midfield mainstay Rodrigo De Paul to a late red card. The Spanish team is now second in the standings with five points. They are one behind leaders Feyenoord. Griezmann converted the rebound from a saved penalty and his strike partner headed Atleti level. Diego Simeone’s team had earlier rallied to defeat Feyenoord 3-2 in Madrid. It was only their third victory in their previous 13 Champions League group games. They were held to a thrilling stalemate by Lazio on the first matchday.
Even though things haven’t gone perfectly in Europe, Los Colchoneros just tied a club record with 14 straight home wins in La Liga, and they’ve won seven of their past nine games overall. Simeone’s team has only won two of their previous six away games. Morata’s late goal was not enough to save them from losing at Las Palmas on Friday night. This week, they will play back-to-back games at home against Villarreal and Celtic. After unexpectedly finishing last in their group last year, Atletico is now playing in their 11th Champions League group. They have a perfect record against Celtic, having won four of their previous seven meetings. With this run, they hope to continue and get closer to the round of 16.
The Bhoys defeated Ross County this past weekend with three goals after the break. They continued their winning streak in the Premiership with ten victories out of twelve games. However, Scotland’s defending champions have found it difficult to close the gap in Europe’s top club competition. Celtic’s illustrious history speaks for itself—the squad was the first British club to win the European Cup in 1967 and finished second to Feyenoord three years later. However, Rodgers’ team has not enhanced the club’s legacy this season with their lackluster Champions League record.
Team News
On Tuesday night, Atletico Madrid’s attack will once again be spearheaded by two individuals with a great deal of elite-level experience: Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann. Griezmann has eight goals in his previous nine club outings. Griezmann has yet to score in three straight Champions League games despite totaling 32 goals from 88 outings; he will now attempt to accomplish so against Celtic. Morata, meanwhile, has scored three goals in his last two Champions League games, which is more than he did in the previous sixteen.
Memphis Depay, another forward for the Atleti, will not be available again. Samuel Lino has been out since mid-October due to a knee injury. Thomas Lemar (Achilles) will not be available until next year. Rodrigo De Paul is serving a suspension following his dismissal from Parkhead.
Stephen Welsh and Liel Abada are still out with injuries, but the visitors may only make one alteration to the starting lineup they used against Atletico in Scotland: Paulo Bernardo, a Benfica loanee, or David Turnbull in place of Hatate. Kyogo Furuhashi, who plays up front, has scored in his past two Champions League games. He would become the first Celtic player to score in three straight Champions League or European Cup games with a goal in midweek since Joseph Craig back in 1977.
Atletico Madrid 2 – 1 Celtic
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