You can bet which of the two teams qualify from this Champions League tie and it’s interesting that the bookies think Atletico Madrid have an outside chance of triumphing. Should you want to back the Spanish side to topple another Manchester opponent over two legs, then the best price about Atleti is 3/1 and they will look to be in the tie after the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Atletico were actually crowned champions of Spain last season although they have fell short badly this time around and trail Real Madrid by fifteen points at the time of writing. Indeed, they face a scramble to qualify for next season’s competition, although there are signs that they are returning to their best form.
Atletico Madrid Hit Form at the Right Time This Season
During January and February, Atletico Madrid lost four of their six games, although they have managed to recently turn a corner. At the time of writing, there have been five wins in six matches and the only game that they drew saw the Mattress Makers tear Manchester United apart only to wind up with a 1-1 draw.
The team certainly had a balanced look about it during the match at Old Trafford, with Jan Oblak operating in goal behind Stefan Savic and Jose Gimenez, while there were star performances from Rodrigo de Paul, Koke and Marcos Llorente. They are trading as big as 15/2 to get a victory at the Etihad although a draw would give them a big chance.
Indeed, we should expect the visitors to aim to break up the game as much as possible. They will want to be disruptive and not allow Manchester City to play their fast-paced brand of football, although it’s a big ask to see them stopping their opponents from scoring and it will be interesting to see how they approach the match.
Are Manchester City a Betting Banker to Beat Atleti?
Manchester City were massively comfortable winners against Sporting in the previous round and they will relish serving it up against their Spanish opponents, with the team having score forty goals in fourteen Premier League clashes at home in the English top flight. Kevin de Bruyne is coming back to the boil at the right time and he will look to orchestrate affairs in the central position.
Guardiola will look to deploy a combination of attacking players that can stretch their opponents, with Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all available for selection and the manager will hope to find the right blend in the first leg. There is clearly an opportunity to take the tie right away from Atletico and have a nice advantage before the return game.
What Are the Best Bets for City v Atleti?
Atletico Madrid will want to get a draw at the Etihad Stadium and it’s improbable that they will take too much of an attacking approach against such dangerous opposition. Therefore, it could be worth looking at Under 2.5 Goals which still covers a myriad of scorelines including 0-0, 1-0, 2-0 and 1-1.
Indeed, a Manchester City win to nil could be on the cards considering that the home side are likely to have plenty of the ball, even if Joao Felix and Antoine Griezmann are dangerous operators. It’s just a question of whether they will get much service considering that the visitors are only likely to have around 30% possession.