The Matchday 7 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Atletico Madrid (Spain) and Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) will take place on January 21 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 17;
Penalties – 14%.
Predicted lineups for Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Jan Oblak – Clément Lenglet, José María Giménez, Javi Galán, Marcos Llorente – Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo De Paul, Giuliano Simeone, Conor Gallagher – Antoine Griezmann, Julián Álvarez.
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Lukáš Hrádecký – Piero Hincapié, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba – Alejandro Grimaldo, Exequiel Palacios, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong – Florian Wirtz, Nathan Tella – Patrik Schick.
Atletico Madrid
The Spaniards have climbed to 11th place in the standings and are just one point away from the top eight, although after three rounds of the group stage, they had only 3 points (1 win and 2 losses). However, Diego Simeone's side then claimed three consecutive victories, defeating PSG (2-1), Sparta Prague (6-0), and Slovan Bratislava (3-1). Notably, Atletico has not won in four consecutive Champions League matches since November 2016. Also, their attack has been impressive, scoring 14 goals in six rounds (only three teams have scored more in the competition).
- In their last 16 Champions League matches, Atletico has suffered only 4 defeats in regular time (10 wins and 2 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in nine of Atletico's last matches in this tournament.
- In 8 of Atletico's last 9 Champions League matches, one team has won with a clean sheet in the first half.
Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen played their last two rounds at home, making the most of it. First, they thrashed Salzburg (5-0), then secured an important victory over Inter (1-0). The Germans have won 4 times in the current Champions League, all with clean sheets, as well as drawing with Brest (1-1) and losing to Liverpool (0-4). Xabi Alonso's team is in 4th place in the standings. If they avoid defeat in the upcoming match, they will guarantee themselves a place in the Champions League playoffs.
- At least one team has failed to score in 12 of Bayer's last 14 matches in this tournament.
- Leverkusen has suffered only one defeat in their last eight Champions League matches (4 wins and 3 draws).
- A maximum of three goals have been scored in 15 of Bayer's last 19 matches in the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Match Prediction
For both teams, the upcoming match is very important. The clubs have good chances of making it into the top eight, and a victory will maximize those chances. In the final round, both teams will face opponents from the lower part of the standings, increasing the likelihood of earning another three points. I suggest that the home field advantage will be crucial in this game.
Atletico has lost only once in their last 13 home Champions League matches, securing 8 wins and 4 draws. Additionally, the Spaniards consistently trouble their opponents at home, scoring at least two goals in 8 of their last 9 home matches in this tournament. Meanwhile, the Germans rarely win away in this competition – they have just three victories in their last 19 away matches (7 draws and 9 losses).
Furthermore, Atletico is in excellent form and has only lost once at home this season at the official level (10 wins and 2 draws). Moreover, Atletico has never lost to Leverkusen at their stadium this century – 2 wins and 3 draws in the Champions League and Europa League.
My prediction – Atletico Madrid with a handicap (0)
