Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg
Date: Wednesday, 10th May 2017
Kick-off at 19:45 UK / 20:45 CET
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon.
Atletico Madrid have built a reputation for gargantuan achievements under coach Diego Simeone and have not given up hope of a remarkable turnaround against Real Madrid in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg.
Last week's chastening 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu left Atletico needing a repeat of their sensational 4-0 win over their fierce local rivals in La Liga in 2015 to prevent a fourth straight European defeat by Real side who have not lost by more than one goal this campaign.
Real have also scored in each of their last 60 games in all competitions, increasing the likelihood of an away goal which would oblige Atletico to win by four goals to reach the final.
Real thrashed Granada 4-0 on Saturday despite Zinedine Zidane making nine changes from the team that beat Atletico so convincingly, while Simeone only rested one player in his side's 1-0 victory over Eibar.
With Real feeling fresher and their confidence soaring as they remain on track to win the domestic title, all signs point to the 11-times European champions piling more misery on their neighbours who they beat in the 2014 and 2016 finals.
Simeone, however, offered a typically defiant message ahead of the second leg, alluding to his side's remarkable title win in 2014 and their Champions League successes over the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
"On Wednesday we have an extremely difficult game which for some would be impossible, but not for us," Simeone told reporters.
"After the last game I told the players it was very tough, that we're facing the best team in the world that scores in every game but we can do it. I'm convinced we can, if I wasn't I wouldn't say so."
Atletico Madrid
Simeone has had the weakest season since he took charge of Atletico Madrid, in spite of having a respectable lineup led by the French superstar Antoine Griezmann in the final third.
The team has been miles away from the battle for the top of Primera Division. However, they will still most likely come third at the end of the season top earn the direct qualification for the group stage of the most elite competition next year.
The Argentine head coach, interestingly, used his top lineup in the weekend’s narrow win over Eibar. It was Saul who bagged the match-winner 20 minutes from time to push Atleti five points clear of Sevilla at the third position in the La Liga.
Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane expectedly gave rest to his star men in the league clash with the rock-bottomed Granada.
James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata again took advantage of the opportunity to score a brace each and lead Los Blancos to a comfortable 0-4 win at Nuevo Los Carmenes.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: Head to head
Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show netting a hat-trick in the first leg of the semi-final tie. This is the third consecutive Champions League campaign which sees the rivals from the Spanish capital taking on each other at the very end of the competition.
Real Madrid somehow always managed to come out on top and this semi-final has seen their most impressive display against the arch-rivals.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: Prediction
Atleti will have to hold Real Madrid from striking if they want to keep any chances of making their way to the finals.
This will obviously be one hell of a task as we all know that Real Madrid have one of the strongest attacking lineups in the world at the moment.
On the other side, Simeone’s men will be desperate to find an early goal which would give them wings and this is just something to open up the space from real’s killing counter attacks.
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: Bet Tips
The main betting prediction will be Over 2.5 goals FT at the odds of 8/11.
The BTTS pick is priced at 8/13.
