2 weeks Ago By Betting Reporter
Atletico Madrid face RB Leipzig in the first round of fixtures in the 2024/25 Champions League. Find the latest match odds for Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed online football bookies .
Odds are subject to change. It is hard to criticise Diego Simeone for any elements of the work he has done at Atletico Madrid. One of Europe’s longest-serving managers - he has been in charge of the club since December 2011 - Simeone has turned Atletico from also-rans into winners.
He has taken the team he represented with distinction as a player to La Liga glory on two occasions, as well as triumphing twice in the Europa League and once in the Copa del Rey. Simeone is unfortunate to not be in possession of a Champions League winner’s medal too, after Atletico were beaten by Real Madrid in the finals of 2014 and 2016. Yet if you were to point to an area where the Colchoneros could improve, it is in Europe’s premier competition.
Their performance in this tournament has been disappointing in recent years and that is something Simeone will be determined to put right this term. Atletico were semi-finalists in 2016/17, when they were eliminated once again by their cross-city rivals Real Madrid, but they have not reached the last four since then. The last seven seasons have featured two group stage exits, two last-16 eliminations and three quarter-final appearances.
You could argue that the last eight of the Champions League is a decent outcome for a club of Atletico’s size, yet they were knocked out by RB Leipzig in 2019/20 and Borussia Dortmund in 2023/24 - ties they could easily have won, in other words. The whole format of the Champions League has changed this year, with the group stage replaced by a league phase. Atletico, like everyone else, will play eight matches.
A top-eight finish in the 36-team table would send them through to the round of 16, while a finish between ninth and 24th would put Simeone’s side into the knockout stage play-offs. This clash with RB Leipzig is a potential banana skin on matchday one, with both teams capable of collecting all three points at the Civitas Metropolitano. Will either Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig get off to a winning start in the 2024/25 Champions League? It was a busy summer for Atletico Madrid, who splashed plenty of cash to bring in Julian Alvarez, Robin Le Normand, Alexander Sorloth and Conor Gallagher, as well as signing Clement Lenglet on loan.
There were signs at the weekend that Simeone’s new-look team is starting to come together. Atletico breezed past an admittedly poor Valencia side, winning 3-0 to climb up to second in La Liga. They will be facing a much stronger opponent in RB Leipzig, though.
Marco Rose’s men have already demonstrated their quality by beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on the road at the end of August. Get the best free bet offers all season Claim Free Bets Yet while there is unlikely to be much separating these two teams, home advantage is a factor in the Champions League and it could swing this match in Atletico’s favour. Leipzig will have their moments on Thursday, but the hosts have enough about them to pick up all three points.
⚽ Back Atletico Madrid to win at 3/4 with Paddy Power ⚽ At their best under Simeone, Atletico Madrid have been monstrous defensively. There are signs that they are moving back in that direction at the start of 2024/25. Atletico conceded twice to Villarreal on the opening weekend of the La Liga season, but they have kept four clean sheets on the bounce since then.
Their backline will be tested by RB Leipzig, though. The German team drew a blank in a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin last time out, but they will be dangerous in transition against Atletico. In Lois Openda, Benjamin Sesko, Antonio Nusa and Xavi Simsons, there is no shortage of attacking talent available to Rose.
Atletico will also back themselves to find the net in front of their own fans, so goals at both ends is the way to go. ⚽ Choose both teams to score at 4/6 with Paddy Power ⚽ The aforementioned Sorloth scored on his La Liga debut for Atletico Madrid, but he has not found the back of the net again since then. That does not mean the Norwegian has not been contributing, but Simeone has admitted that he is still trying to find a way to fit Sorloth, Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann into the same XI.
Alvarez had to make do with a place on the bench against Valencia and the same fate may well await him on Thursday. Sorloth’s ability to press from the front will be important against RB Leipzig, who will look to progress the ball through the pitch quickly. The former Crystal Palace striker also provides a penalty-box presence that could help him find the net for a second time in an Atletico shirt.
⚽ Tip Alexander Sorloth to score any time at 13/10 with Paddy Power ⚽ Greg Lea Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others. Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT.
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