Diego Simeone drew criticism in the soccer universe for his decision to go with an ultra-defensive strategy in the first game with Manchester City. It didn’t pay off in terms of result – Atletico Madrid lost 1-0 – but it did make the opposition angry.
In fact, Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola was visibly annoyed by Atletico’s approach, calling the tactic a “prehistoric 5-5-0 tactic.”
The Sky Blues do have a 1-0 advantage from the first game, but Atletico will have the home support on their side in Leg 2 of the Champions League quarterfinal. Will Simeone’s strategy prove right? Oddsmakers don’t think so. Instead, they think Manchester City might win once again.
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea Odds (Champions League, 2022)
All odds are per bet365 as of April 11.
1X2
| Atletico Madrid | +375 |
| Draw | +250 |
| Manchester City | -125 |
Over/Under
| Over 2.5 | +104 |
| Under 2.5 | -118 |
Where and When to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, April 13
- Time: 3:00 PM EDT
- Location: Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain
- Watch: Paramount+
Atletico Madrid Needs to Attack This Time
A 1-0 loss in Manchester is actually a decent result. After all, Atletico played against the #1 favorite for the 2021-22 Champions League title. Man City remains the favorite, but this Wednesday, Sky Blues are traveling to Spain.
Atletico Madrid’s home stadium Wanda Metropolitano is where the second leg of the UCL quarterfinal will take place. With the help of their fans, Atleti will have to try and win the match – that’s their only option.
The good news is that this team has plenty of amazing players on the roster, some of whom have plenty of experience playing big games. Some examples include Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Koke, and others, all of whom have a very impressive trophy cabinet.
Citizens to Show What They’re Made Of
The only thing Manchester City hasn’t won since Sheikh Mansour took over is the Champions League. These guys did come very close to winning it last year, but Chelsea crushed their dreams.
This year, Man City is favored to win the title, but things don’t look as certain following the minimal victory over Atletico Madrid in Leg 1. On paper, the Citizens seem like a better bunch than Atleti, however, there might be a problem.
The thing is that Manchester City is coming off an exhausting EPL game. On Sunday, they drew 2-2 with their main title rival, Liverpool. The same opponent they will face just three days after the UCL quarterfinal. This time, Man City and Liverpool will play in the semifinal of the Champions League.
With so much going on, Man City’s players may not be able to give their 100% on Wednesday, which is something Atleti will be looking to take advantage of.
Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester City Prediction
This is going to be a very close game, probably with not too many goals. As there’s so much at stake, both managers will probably go with a cautious game plan, meaning that we could see the game finish in a draw.
Picks: Atletico Madrid and Manchester City to draw; under 2.5 goals