Real Madrid vs Atleti Champions League preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Article summary
Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news, form and coaches' views ahead of the round of 16 first leg.
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Real Madrid host Atleti in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 match-up.
Match at a glance
When: 4 March (21:00 CET)
Where: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
What: Champions League round of 16 first leg
Who: The Champions League holders against the three-time Europa League winners.
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Where to watch the game on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
What do you need to know?
Real Madrid defeated city rivals Atleti in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals and eliminated them from the competition at the quarter-final stage in 2015 and the semi-finals in 2017. With hopes of re-writing the recent history of this tie, Diego Simeone's side can take confidence from a strong league phase campaign, which included victories over French champions Paris and German champions Leverkusen, though Real Madrid are purring after their knockout phase play-off triumph over Manchester City.
Possible line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Rüdiger, Asencio, Mendy; Modrić, Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
Atleti: Oblak; Llorente, Giménez, Lenglet, Galán; Simeone, Barrios, De Paul, Lino; Griezmann, Alvarez
Form guide
Form: LWWWDW
Latest: Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid, La Liga, 01/03
Form: WDWDDW
Latest: Atleti 1-0 Athletic Club, La Liga, 01/03
What the coaches say
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "Our last memory of the Bernabéu in the Champions League is special and we want to repeat it. There will be many differences compared to the Man City game; Atleti are a more vertical team and Man City focus more on possession. However, that is not going to change our style. We know that it will be a close match and we feel that it will be decided in the return leg. We can't think about taking a big lead tomorrow, it's not possible because our rival is competing very well and the tie will be close until the end."
Diego Simeone, Atleti coach: "It's a match with a lot of respect, against a great rival, who respect us in the same way. For [the city of] Madrid it is spectacular that the two teams face each other and, for Spain, having a team in the quarter-finals is going to be fantastic too. We can enjoy it. It is a very important moment, against a very respected rival. We are prepared for whatever is to come. A match of this calibre is decided by the finer details. We have already seen that in the games against Real Madrid, both for them and for us. The details are decisive at this stage. The team that handles these situations best will advance to the next round."