The quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League will start today with the match of Manchester City VS Atletico Madrid and Liverpool VS Benfica. It is the first leg of the quarterfinal round. Manchester City, the Premier League table topper, will host Atletico Madrid at the City of Manchester Stadium. At the same time, Liverpool will play against the home team, Benfica.
Manchester City VS Atletico Madrid
The match between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid is one of the most exciting clashes in the Quarter-Final. Both teams have qualified for this round by performing well in the round of 16. However, Atletico Madrid already fought against a top team, Manchester United. They eliminated the Red Devils, having won the second leg by 1-0. On the other side, Manchester City have faced relatively a weak team. So, Atletico Madrid will be a tough opponent for the Guardiola boys. With this match against Man City, Atletico Madrid will become the first team to meet against Man City and Man United in the same tournament.
Team News
Manchester City will miss the service of two key players, Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias. Kyle Walker will not be part of the squad due to the suspension. On the other side, Ruben Dias is still recovering from a hamstring injury. According to the manager, he needs one more week to be ready to play. However, Pep Guardiola has plenty of options in the defense. John Stones is likely to start today in the absence of Ruben Dias. On Atletico’s side, Jose Maria Giminez will miss the match due to injury. But Yannick Carrasco, Koke, and Angel Correa are back to the squad.
Guardiola’s Thoughts
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has talked about the playing style of Atletico Madrid. He has praised Diego Simione, the manager of Atletico Madrid. Guardiola said,
There is a misconception about the way he (Diego Simeone) plays. It’s more offensive than people believe. He doesn’t want to take a risk in the build-up but they are very good in the final third. They are so competitive. It depends on the movement of the game and they know how to play at the exact moment.