Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig
The Champions League is back in full swing as Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig meet at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday in what promises to be a hard-fought contest.
This is a match-up between two of the longer shots at European glory. The latest SBOBET odds on a tournament winner have Diego Simeone’s Atletico at 8.20, and 3.30 to reach the final, with Leipzig at odds of 21.00 and 6.50. Only Ligue 1 side Lyon are less fancied than the Germans after they squeezed past Juventus in the round of 16.
It’s been an unsettling time for both teams in the run-up to this huge game, with COVID worries for Atleti and a big name departure for the Red Bulls, but a semi-final place awaits the team which stands up to the heat on Thursday.
Talking Points
RB Leipzig begin life after Timo
He was there to fire Leipzig to a top-three finish in the Bundesliga and help his side reach the last eight of the Champions League, but for Red Bull fans, Timo Werner is history after the star striker opted to join Premier League club Chelsea.
Bundesliga hotshot Werner has four goals in the tournament, as has midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who scored twice in their 3-0 destruction of Premier League club Spurs in the round of 16.
Swedish midfielder Emil Forsberg has scored four too, so head coach Julien Nagelsmann has options, and he is likely to start with Yussuf Poulsen and Patrik Schick upfront.
Poulsen has recovered from an ankle injury, but Nagelsmann is sweating on the fitness of influential midfielder Sabitzer, who has also made two assists in the competition. He has a knee strain and Nagelsmann will make a late call on this.
Wing-back Lukas Klosterman is a man to watch. The 24-year-old has already made an impact in the German national team after impressing with his sound reading of the game and readiness to raid forward.
Rojiblancos’ COVID scare
Atletico boss Simeone doesn’t have injury problems but also doesn’t have a full squad to choose from.
The pre-match Champions League 2020 news took a worrying turn on Sunday when the club announced that two of their players had tested positive for coronavirus, and on Monday it was revealed that Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko were the two in question.
The rest of the squad was re-tested and has been cleared to travel, but there’s no doubt that this news has disrupted the Madrid club’s preparation for such an important game.
Los Rojiblancos made a fast finish to their La Liga season, qualifying for next year’s Champions League with something to spare and they have been impressive in Europe too, beating Liverpool in the round of 16.
In the second leg at Anfield, Marcos Llorente stepped up as a makeshift striker and bagged a brace as Atleti sent the holders tumbling out of the competition.
History
They are both dark horses but, in terms of history, there is little to link these two teams.
Ten times winners of La Liga and three times runners up in the Champions League, Los Rojiblancos have a rich history in domestic and European competition, featuring in two Champions League finals in the last six years.
In contrast, Leipzig were only founded 11 years ago, so it’s little surprise that these two teams have never met.
In terms of recent form, the La Liga side is on an 11 match unbeaten run while the Red Bulls have lost one in the last six, a 2-0 defeat to title rivals Borussia Dortmund.
During the last six matches, both clubs have participated in four games which have yielded under 2.50 goals
Betting Tip
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Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig | Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.91 |
| August 14, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
Under 2.25 at odds of 1.86 looks a fair shout, but in both cases five of those games have produced either two or three goals, so that’s where I’m going with a three-star bet.
The German side has endured a five-week wait for this tie as the Bundesliga was the first European league to finish, and so the latest Champions League 2020 betting odds back the match fit Spaniards.
Atleti are marginal favourites at 2.35 to win in 90 minutes with Red Bull at 2.86 and the draw available at odds of 3.11. Simeone’s team is at 1.66 to advance to the semi-finals, with Leipzig at 2.25.
For an alternative bet with longer odds, 1-1 is the most likely scoreline at 5.22.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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