Champions League Round of 16: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Leg 1 Betting Preview

We’re officially into the Round of 16 in the Champions League and two familiar foes will lock horns on Tuesday, March 4 as Real Madrid welcome Atletico Madrid to the Santiago Bernabeu. The kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET. Los Blancos find themselves in the last 16 after beating Manchester City in a two-legged play-off. As for Atleti, they were solid enough in the group stages to automatically qualify for this round, finishing in fifth spot in the expanded table. Keep reading for the match preview for the first leg.

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid H2H history

This is one of the best rivalries in world football and there’s no shortage of history. In the Champions League, they’ve met nine times, with Real winning five times. Atleti has two victories of their own, while the two other fixtures finished level. However, they haven’t locked horns in Europe’s most prized competition since the 2016-17 campaign, with Los Blancos running out 4-2 winners on aggregate in the semifinals.

Can Madrid bounce back?

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have certainly enjoyed a respectable campaign and head into the Round of 16 to repeat as UCL champions, but they’re coming off a shock defeat to Real Betis over the weekend. In the process, Madrid fell into third place in LaLiga and three points behind first place Barcelona.

That loss ended a three-game winning run for the title-holders across all competitions and it won’t get any easier on Tuesday. They’ve already shared the spoils with Atleti this term in league action, taking away a point in a 1-1 draw on February 8. Nevertheless, Los Blancos should be feeling confident considering their UCL record against their city rivals, plus their dominance of Man City in the play-offs.

Ancelotti’s devastating attack was on full display against the Premier League giants, with Kylian Mbappe single handedly ending City’s Champions League dreams in the second leg with a hat-trick. Mbappe is really starting to find his best with Madrid and will be looking to get in on the action here. He’s failed to score in back-to-back games but has netted seven goals in Europe. Real is a -108 favorite at Sports Interaction.

Atleti look solid

While Atletico may not always play the most exciting football, the results speak for themselves this season. In the Champions League group stages, they compiled an impressive 6-2-2 record, soaring into the Round of 16 with ease. In LaLiga, Diego Simeone’s side has a 16-8-2 record and sits just one point behind league leaders Barca.

Atleti is in fine form at the moment, going unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. They were victorious on Saturday, securing three points against Athletic Club. Julian Alvarez bagged the lone goal and continues to prove why he’s been a phenomenal signing for the club. The Argentine has 21 goals across all competitions, include six in just eight Champions League appearances.

Simeone’s squad has actually won two straight matches in European competition against Real. They beat them in the second leg in 2017 and also in the UEFA Super Cup in 2018. Atleti has more than enough talent to give Madrid a serious run for their money and finding a result away from home on Tuesday will be crucial. The visitors are underdogs at soccer betting sportsbooks.