Having already seen off one Manchester-based outfit this season

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Having already seen off one Manchester-based outfit this season, Atletico Madrid travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side made it past Sporting Lisbon 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16, while the La Liga champions edged past the Red Devils 2-1 to make it to the quarters.

We’re set for a mouthwatering encounter between the champions of England and Spain in this UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final. This is Manchester City’s fifth successive appearance at this stage, and while one eye will be on their tight Premier League title battle with Liverpool, City should still be confident of securing a positive result here as they’re undefeated in their last seven UCL home knockout matches (W6, D1), and have won 11 of their last 13 competitive matches at the Etihad too.

Although this is a first UCL clash between these two sides, Pep Guardiola’s men boast a strong recent record against Spanish teams, winning their last three meetings against sides from Spain. The last two of those came against Atlético Madrid’s neighbours Real with both finishing 2-1 – the same scoreline City managed in both of their quarter-final legs in last year’s competition when they ousted Borussia Dortmund.

It’s a return to familiar surroundings for Atlético who overcame City’s rivals Manchester United in the last round to secure their third UCL win in four competition away matches (L1). Bizarrely, that accounts for all of their victories in the competition this season, highlighting how Diego Simeone’s men are currently producing their best European form on the road.

Now Atlético are bidding to become the first side to defeat both City and United in the knockout stages of a European competition in the same season since Juventus achieved that feat in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup – a season that also saw Juve lift the trophy. Doing the same and going all the way to the final seems a tall order for Atlético, although they come into this clash on the back of six straight competitive wins so confidence should be high.

Date: 05/04/2022
Time: 22:00
Venue: Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
Pick for this match:
” Over 2.5″ – @ 1.84 ( BETWAY )