Atletico Madrid finds themselves on the brink of elimination after squandering a chance to get their first win in the Champions League this season. The Spanish giants were unable to beat Qarabag Fk in Azerbaijan two weeks ago despite having a solid roster. Atletico Madrid host Qarabag FK on Tuesday night at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in a game that Diego Simeone's side needs a victory to close the gap that Chelsea and AS Roma have set.
Qarabag FK manager Gurban Gurbanov must be a happy seeing the impressive progress of his team in the European competition.
The Champions League debutants opened the campaign with a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea before managing to score a goal in the 2-1 loss to AS Roma. The Azerbaijan champions earned their first point in European elite competition in the 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid in their third group match.
Talking points
- Atletico Madrid could be on the verge of exiting Champions League should the Spanish fail to defeat the European minnows in Madrid. Failure to record a victory for Diego Simeone men would be a big boost to Chelsea and AS Roma who could find it easy to progress into the knockout stages of the competition.
- The Madrid outfit form has deteriorated in the recent past with the team only recording a single win in seven matches in all competitions. Atletico Madrid is currently occupying the fourth spot in the Spanish league after drawing 1-1 with Villareal over the weekend at the home ground.
- The Horsemen of Azerbaijan are quickly adjusting to the Champions League given that their results are improving. The Azerbaijan champions were miserable in their debut Champions League game in which Chelsea humiliated them 6-0. Gurban Gurbanov men made progress with the team losing narrowly to AS Roma in a match that ended -2-1 in favor of the Italian club. The Horsemen achieved a draw in their third group match, and the visitors will be hungry for the first Champions League victory as they travel to Madrid.
- After drawing against Atletico Madrid, Qarabag FK suffered their first loss in Azerbaijan Premier League this season as the team fell 1-0 to Qabala. However, Gurban Gurbanov side responded over the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Sabail to stay top in the league standings despite playing a game less than their rivals.
Team news
Only Koke and Yanick Carrasco are doubtful for the match with slight injuries, but the duo may recover on time to welcome Qarabg FK in Madrid.
Diego Costa who recently returned from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid is another automatic absentee on eligibility grounds. Other than the three cases, Diego Simeone has the rest of the team to pick from as his team tries to gain footing in Europe.
The visitors will be without Badavi Guseinov, Tarik Elyounoussi, and Eltun Turabov who are all out with critical injuries.
Dino Ndlovu who was sent off after getting two yellow cards in the first-leg is banned from taking part in this match. Other than the four cases of absentees, Gurban Gurbanov has the rest of his squad to choose the players who can stun the hosts once again but with a victory this time.
Full-time prediction: Atletico Madrid 4-0 Qarabag FK.
