Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen
Here’s a mid-heavyweight Champions League contest potentially poised to deliver some Champions League 2025 highlights before January is out. A meeting between two of the leading protagonists in Europe.
Neither have ever won this this competition or the original European Cup, and this SBOTOP writer does not expect that to change this term.
What he does expect, though, is a compelling battle between two teams who have the capacity to beat anyone on their day.
Talking Points
Even though Atletico Madrid are 11th and Bayer Leverkusen lie fourth in the standings after six games, the sides are only separated by a point at the moment, which indicates how close it could be in the bid to finish in the top eight and an automatic route to the last 16.
Christmas number one in Spain and still top, one point ahead of city rivals Real and six ahead of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid must be the most in-form team in Europe right now because they have won eight straight league games and 15 in a row in all competitions. During this period, Diego Simeone’s side have kept four clean sheets in five.
Rodrigo De Paul has been an essential cog in Los Rojiblancos’ resurgence with the Argentine international holding it down in the middle of the park as well as demonstrating the capability to score goals, notching three in his last five La Liga appearances.
They eased to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey in midweek with a resounding 4-0 victory over 10-man Elche.
Then there’s the German champions, the team of the year of 2024 for me, anywhere in world football.
To put Leverkusen’s 2024 into context, just one league defeat all year and a league and cup double as Xabi Alonso’s side finished 17 points clear of runners-up Stuttgart after recording 28 wins and six draws to become the first Bundesliga side to go through an entire campaign unbeaten.
Also Europa League runners-up, they are in a good run of form themselves and remain hot on the heels of Bayern Munich domestically, just four points off the pace following seven straight league wins.
They will not be fazed by travelling to the intimidating Riyadh Air Metropolitano as the respective classes of 2025 go in search of rewriting the history books.
Atletico, defeated finalists in 2014 and 2016 (and 1974 European Cup Final), and Leverkusen, pipped at the Champions League post in 2002 – on all three occasions by Real Madrid – would surely love nothing more.
History
It’s a closely contested history overall with three wins apiece and two draws in the Champions League – all of them over the past decade.
Both teams recorded 1-0 home victories against each other in the last 16 in 2015 with Hakan Calhanoglu scoring the winner for the Germans before Atletico restored parity in Spain through a Mario Suarez goal, eventually winning the tie 3-2 in a penalty shootout.
It was the same story when they met at the same stage two seasons later, although this time Los Rojiblancos had a little extra to spare.
Ahead of a goalless draw in Spain in the second leg, Atletico won 4-2 on German soil when Saul Niguez, Antoine Griezmann, Kevin Gameiro (penalty) and Fernando Torres were the marksmen. Karim Bellarabi and an own goal was all the hosts had to show for their efforts.
The teams were drawn together again in the 2019/20 group stages, both winning their home games, and then again two seasons ago when Leverkusen won 2-0 at home, thanks to two goals in the final six minutes from Robert Andrich and Moussa Diaby.
Their most recent meeting, in October 2022, saw the sides share four goals in Madrid. Diaby and Callum Hudson-Odoi twice put Leverkusen ahead, twice Atletico came back through Yannick Carrasco and Rodrigo De Paul.
The teams played out two 1-1 draws in the 2010/11 Europa League group stage. Then, Jupp Heynckes’ Leverkusen ended up top of that section while the elimination of Quique Sánchez Flores’ Atlético, then holders, was confirmed with a draw in Germany.
Betting Tip
As far as I’m concerned, Champions League 2025 betting odds has got a draw written all over it.
If you fancy a Spanish triumph, then it’s worth looking at Atletico 1X2 @ 2.48 and Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.25. Likewise, for the German champions to win at the Estadio Metropolitano, then how about 1X2 @ 2.66 or Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 2.02. Another 2-2 draw will pay out @ 15.50 with Correct Score.
Total Goal 0-1 @ 2.77, 2-3 @ 1.97, and 4-6 @ 3.78 suggests a low or high scoring affair to me, and I do think it will be close, regardless of whether there are goals galore or not, hence my prediction.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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