Atletico Madrid and Lille will face off at the Metropolitano on Wednesday night. The two teams had contrasting outcomes in their last Champions League matches. Atletico Madrid faced a difficult loss against Benfica in Lisbon, while Lille pulled off a surprising victory against the defending champions Real Madrid. This result puts both teams on equal footing with three points each in the standings.
Match Details
Match: Atletico Madrid vs. Lille
Stadium: Metropolitano Stadium
Date & Time: Wednesday, 23rd October 2024 – 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
American viewers can watch the match via Vix or Los Angeles, California, headquarted Paramount+.
Atletico Madrid vs Lille: Preview
Atletico Madrid kicked off their 2024-25 season with a strong nine-game unbeaten streak. However, that run came to a sudden halt earlier this month when Benfica handed them a tough 4-0 loss, thanks to a poor performance in the second half. After halftime at Estadio da Luz, Angel Di Maria, a former Real Madrid player, netted the second goal for the home team following a penalty given after Conor Gallagher’s foul.
Atletico Madrid’s tough day continued when Reinildo fouled, resulting in another penalty for the hosts. Going back to last season, Atletico has allowed at least one goal in each of their last six Champions League matches, averaging two goals per game. This is their worst streak in ten years.
Lille faced tough matches in qualifying but managed to make it through. In their first Champions League game, they lost to Sporting Lisbon. However, they bounced back impressively by defeating the 15-time champions in their second match. Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga made a handball just before halftime, prompting VAR to step in. A penalty was given, and Jonathan David, the star forward, calmly scored to put Les Dogues ahead with a vital lead to defend. Lille has secured victory in four of their last five group matches in the Champions League, matching their total wins from the previous 29 games.
Team News
Diego Simeone will again be missing Robin Le Normand, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Marcos Llorente. The latter will be back in training after missing time due to a thigh injury he suffered against Benfica. After being an unused substitute for the last four matches, French forward Thomas Lemar is now in the mix again following his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Simeone faces a tough choice in the attack with his expensive new signings. Julian Alvarez hasn’t made a big impact yet, while Alexander Sorloth netted two goals over the weekend and has scored in three straight games for both his club and country.
Alongside their sought-after striker Jonathan David, Lille also has a significant threat in Edon Zhegrova. He has made more dribble attempts than any other player in this season’s top European club competition. He has netted six goals for his club this season and recently found the back of the net for Kosovo in the UEFA Nations League.
The visitors will be without Tiago Santos (ACL), Ismaily (knee), Hakon Arnar Haraldsson (foot), and Ethan Mbappe (thigh). However, young midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau made a late appearance against Monaco after being sidelined since early September, and Benjamin Andre returns from suspension.
Atletico Madrid vs Lille: Possible Starting Lineup
Atletico Madrid: Oblak (GK), Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan, De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Griezmann, Sorloth
Lille: Chevalier (GK), Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Bouaddi, Andre, Zhegrova, Angel Gomes, Cabella, David
Match Predictions
Lille has given away the ball in their defensive area more than any other team in the Champions League this season – 20 times. On the other hand, only two teams have taken the ball away from their opponents in that same area more frequently than Atletico Madrid, indicating that the home team might create some chances from turnovers. Atletico may have some issues in defense, but they are a strong team when playing at home.
Our prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Lille.
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