The draw for the quarterfinals, semifinals and final of the Champions League has matched the rojiblancos with discipline citizen. This tie will see the fourth and fifth confrontation between Pep Guardiola and Diego Pablo Simeone.
Both coaches have seen each other three times. The Argentine has always defended the Atlético de Madrid bench in these precedents, while the Catalan managed to win with FC Barcelona in a LaLiga matchday and with Bayern München in the semifinal second leg of the 2015-16 Champions League. It was a sterile victory (2-1) given that the result of the first leg (1-0) gave the pass to the colchoneros.
The citizens They come from overwhelming Sporting CP in the first leg (0-5) and keeping the result in the second leg (0-0) to access the quarterfinals. In the Premier League, they have won two of their last four meetings, losing one and drawing another. Despite this, they retain the lead with a margin point over Liverpool. They are not still alive in the EFL Cup, where they fell (0-0 and 5-3 on penalties) in October, but they are in the FA Cup, where they will face Southampton in the quarterfinals.
The colchoneros have been able to beat Manchester United (0-1) after drawing (1-1) in the first leg to reach this round. In LaLiga they are fourth, tied on points with the third but with one more stake, having won their last five games consecutively and leaving behind the bad dynamics. In Copa del Rey they fell (2-0) against Real Sociedad in January.
Manchester City will have a more complicated calendar than Atlético de Madrid. Returning from the national team break, the English will visit Burnley, receive the colchoneros, act as locals with Liverpool, travel to Madrid and make visitors to Wolverhampton. In short, in a week the access to the semifinals and the leadership of the Premier League will be played.
The Spanish have a more affordable calendar. They will receive Deportivo Alavés after returning from the national team break, they will visit Manchester City and RCD Mallorca before the return leg against the English and, after finishing the tie, they will play at home against RCD Espanyol.
In the middle of 2022, football fans are aware of how Pep Guardiola’s and Diego Pablo Simeone’s teams play. The former wants the power of the ball, the generation of numerical superiorities wherever he is and a greater risk with high pressure. On the other hand, the former prioritizes defensive positioning and has a more reactive approach, which is no less effective for that. This year he has suffered in defense, but it seems that those problems are being left behind.
Manchester City will not have Benjamin Mendy available due to their pending litigation and, for the moment, it is unknown how long Rúben Dias may be out, one of the names of last year that allowed them to be crowned in the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.
Atlético de Madrid know that they will be without Yannick Ferreira Carrasco in the first leg, as he was sent off on the last day of the group stage and received a three-match ban. He has completed two by missing the tie against Manchester United, so he could reappear in the second leg. In addition, it remains to be seen what is the recovery period for Sime Vrsaljko, Daniel Wass, Thomas Lemar and Matheus Cunha.
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