Atlético Madrid hosts Manchester United at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano this Tuesday, October 13, for Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Atlético lost their season-opening match 2-1 to Liverpool on September 9, while Manchester United defeated Sabah 4-0 on September 10.
Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United: Team News & Starting Lineups
Good news for Diego Simeone’s side: they have no suspended or injured players at the moment, so the Argentine manager can field his strongest possible lineup for this matchup. We’ll likely see stars like Jan Oblak, Julián Álvarez, and Kang-in Lee start.
On the other hand, Michael Carrick’s side heads into this match with several major absences, including Benjamin Sesko with a lower-leg injury, Patrick Dorgu with a hamstring injury, Matthijs de Ligt with a back injury, Noussair Mazraoui with a back injury, Manuel Ugarte with an ACL injury, and Tom Heaton with an abdominal injury.
Aside from those absences, no other players are in doubt for this match, and Carrick could also field a competitive lineup featuring players such as Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, and Bryan Mbeumo.
Atletico Madrid’s predicted starting XI vs. Manchester United: Oblak; Pubill, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Baena; Lee, Alvarez.
Manchester United’s predicted starting XI vs. Atletico Madrid: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha.
Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United: Teams Form & Latest Results
Atlético Madrid have won four of their last five matches and suffered one defeat. In their most recent game, they defeated Deportivo Alavés 2-1 on October 10, after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Madrid derby on September 20.
Before that, they secured a convincing 4-0 win over Osasuna on September 16, after defeating Real Sociedad 3-0 on September 13. Their previous match was the aforementioned 1-2 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League on September 9.
Atlético’s leading goalscorer this season is Álex Baena with four goals. Jonathan David and Alejandro Grimaldo follow with three goals each. David, the Canadian forward, has also recorded two assists, while Juliáno Simeone has contributed two goals and two assists in the league, making him another key player for the team.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have won only one of their last five matches, with two defeats and two draws in the same period. In their most recent game, they drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur on October 10, after previously drawing by the same scoreline against Fulham on September 20.
Before that, they lost 2-3 to Brighton & Hove Albion on September 16, following a 0-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Manchester derby on September 13. Before that, as mentioned earlier, they defeated Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League on September 10.
Among the Red Devils’ standout Premier League players this season are Bryan Mbeumo (3 goals), Bruno Fernandes (3 goals, 1 assist), and Matheus Cunha (1 goal, 2 assists).
Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United Lineup Today: Confirmed Team News & Starting XI