Atlético Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Atlético Madrid head into this clash on a huge high after dismantling rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in La Liga at the weekend. That emphatic derby victory came just days after suffering late heartbreak at Anfield, where a stoppage-time goal consigned them to a 3-2 defeat against Liverpool in the UCL Matchday One. The Wanda Metropolitano has long been a fortress in Europe, and the Rojiblancos’ record against German opposition underlines that point. Diego Simeone’s side are unbeaten in their last 15 UEFA competition home games against Bundesliga clubs [11W, 4D, 0L], a streak dating back to October 1996 when Borussia Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory in the UCL group stage. Since then, the Spanish capital club have also lost only one of their last 15 home matches in the competition overall [10W, 4D, 0L], winning nine of the last ten. Rojiblancos have not only been solid but also productive in Europe, scoring 199 UCL goals in total, and they have enjoyed recent success against German sides. Last season, they beat both RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen by identical 2-1 scorelines, and another win here would mark three in succession against German opposition for the first time since 1999. The only setback for Simeone is the continued absence of defender José María Giménez. A 4—4—2 formation may be deployed with Alexander Sørloth and Julián Alvarez paired up front.

Eintracht Frankfurt arrive in Madrid after one of the most extraordinary BL games in recent memory. They led Borussia Mönchengladbach 6-0 at half-time on Saturday before collapsing defensively in a chaotic 6-4 win. That fragility at the back will be a major concern against an Atleti side brimming with attacking confidence. The Eagles do, however, have a strong European pedigree. Frankfurt have lost just three of their last 13 UEFA matches [8W, 2D, 3L] and boast an impressive record against Spanish sides, with only two defeats in 11 meetings [6W, 3D, 2L] – both against Real Madrid, including the 2022 UEFA Super Cup. Their last European outing was far more convincing than their league display, as they demolished Galatasaray 5-1 on matchday one – their biggest Champions League/European Cup win since 1960. Dino Toppmöller will have to do without defender Rasmus Kristensen. Jonathan Burkardt may start in the attack of a 4—5—1 pattern.