Manchester City welcomes Spanish champions Atletico Madrid who are beaming with confidence on back of an unbeaten run. One of continent's peripheral attack battle against the stingiest defence.
Pep Guardiola's men outclassed Sporting CP in the last 16 stage while Simeone and his team knocked their rivals Manchester United out of the competition in the previous round.
MCI vs ATM Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Match Details :
Date: 5 April 2022/ 6 April 2022
Time: 19:00 (GMT)/ 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
MCI vs ATM Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Match Preview :
The Premier League champions started a vital month for them to defend their crown with a 2-0 win over Burnley after the international break. They lead Liverpool by a point whom they face next weekend in between the two legs of the Champions League quarterfinals. The Reds also play them in the FA Cup semi-final this month as well. City will wish to get their job done in their home leg itself to avoid any additional pressure ahead of the potential title decider. However, Atletico Madrid are ready to inflict the same damage to them as they did against United. Guardiola's men know this is the competition that eludes them and the only trophy missing in their cabinet. The hurt of losing last year's final is in there. So, City are unlikely to make any compromise in the champions league. Atletico are in good form and as ever will be difficult to break open but City have scored 60 goals at home this season. It is reasonable to fear the side.
Diego Simeone will boast that he has seen this before and his team will be up for any challenges. Know to frustrate even oppositions with fluent attacking force, Atletico have also completely changed their drastic form early this season. Colchoneros are unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions including keeping four clean sheets. Jan Oblak has also seen a slight improvement in his form. Atletico were decisive in their round of 16 encounter in the other half of the Manchester but facing City is a totally different task in itself. Simeone stresses that and is desperate to disrupt the opposition's valiant passing game to gain something in the away fixture. Without the away goals rule this time to help, the task is even harder. Nevertheless, Atletico are relishing the challenge to pile misery to another English giants in their quest to go deeper in the competition. Simeone has got better of Guardiola three times but this will be his first meet against City.
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MCI vs ATM Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Team News :
The big blow for Manchester City is star center back Ruben Dias is likely to be out for at least two weeks and won't be available for the game on Tuesday evening. The Portuguese suffered a hamstring injury last month which has kept him out in the last five games for Manchester City and the qualification matches for Portugal. John Stones has shaken off an injury issue to start instead of him. Kyle Walker is suspended.
Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez enter the field as substitutes in the win over Alaves in La Liga due to their international outings but are expected to start this fixture. Matheus Cunha, Sime Vrsaljko and Felipe are available again after returning from injuries. However, Jose Gimenez has not travelled with the squad after picking up an injury in the second half. Hector Herrera is also out with a thigh injury. Yannick Carrasco is suspended for the first leg.
MCI vs ATM Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Expected Lineups :
Man City: Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling
Atletico: Jan Oblak; Stefan Savic, Felipe, Reinildo, Marcos Llorente, De Paul, Kondogbia, Koke, Renan Lodi, Antoine Griezmann, Joao Felix
MCI vs ATM Champions League 2021-22 leg 1 Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Oblak (9)
DEF: Cancelo (9), Laporte (9), Savic (9), Lodi (9)
MID: De Bruyne (9.5), Rodri (9), De Paul (9)
FW: Mahrez (9), Griezmann (9.5), B Silva (9)
