Atlético – Leverkusen preview: Simeone and Xabi Alonso match wits again

A little more than two years after a heartbreaking group stage elimination, Atlético de Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen will meet again in the Champions League on Tuesday in a vital showdown for positioning in the league phase table.

Atlético Madrid (12 points) are assured of continued participation in the Champions League with one round to spare if it can beat Leverkusen (13 points), last season’s Bundesliga winners and Europa League runners-up. Atlético have to win both of its remaining league phase games and get help elsewhere in order to finish as one of the top eight teams, thereby avoiding a two-legged playoff tie; entering Tuesday’s fixture slate, Atleti are 11th out of 36 teams in the league phase table.

“Leverkusen are an extraordinary team, they play with great speed and very good positioning,” Diego Simeone told the media on Monday. “Xabi Alonso is doing a great job, he proved it last season and is on his way to repeating it. Their style of football is admirable.

“We will compete with the tools we have, and with the objective we have,” Simeone continued. “The club has never managed to win this Champions League, and our objective is to reach the final so desired and loved by all.”

Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images

While Atlético saw its 15-game winning run come to a halt in Saturday’s loss to Leganés, Bayer Leverkusen enter this match on an 11-game winning streak. The reigning German champions have closed to within four points of Bayern Munich as they seek to defend their crown; in the Champions League, Xabi Alonso’s men sit fourth in the table and — barring a complete collapse — will play knockout football in this competition for the first time in eight years (when they lost to Atlético in the round of 16).

“I have a lot of respect and praise for Simeone, for what he has achieved at Atlético,” Xabi Alonso told reporters Monday. “He has been with this club for 13 seasons and has had a great influence on the club. This team is perhaps the best he has ever had, my congratulations to Atlético. They are performing very well in the league and in the cup. They have a lot of capable players in the squad, they can rotate and they are ambitious this season.”

Injury updates and team news

Josema Giménez celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday by training normally with his teammates; the Uruguay international is poised to return to the squad on Tuesday after Simeone opted not to include him for the short trip to Leganés. However, Clément Lenglet and Robin Le Normand may keep their places in the 11 for Leverkusen’s visit.

Alexander Sørloth has not yet recovered from his injury and will not be available on this big Champions League night; Atlético missed Sørloth’s frame and finishing ability dearly as it chased an equalizer against Leganés. Rodrigo Riquelme should return to the squad though after he missed Saturday’s game through illness; he scored his first goal this season in last week’s Copa del Rey win at Elche and will look to capitalize on that momentum, should he see the pitch Tuesday.

Simeone offered no clues as to his potential 11 during Monday’s training session. We can surmise that Antoine Griezmann and Julián Alvarez will remain El Cholo’s starting forward pair, and both players are eager to put disappointing displays at Leganés behind them. Pablo Barrios and Rodrigo de Paul probably will start in midfield, while Jan Oblak is good to go after he left Butarque with his right hand wrapped in ice.

Date Jan. 21, 2025

Location Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

Kickoff time 9:00 p.m. CEST, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT

Available TV/streaming Paramount+ (United States), Movistar+ (Spain)