Atletico Madrid take on the visitors Real Madrid in the second leg of UEFA Champions League round of 1/8-finals. First leg result: 1-2. The match will be played on Wednesday, March 12th at Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid).
Atlético showed signs of progress even last season. They managed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, unlike in the previous campaign, and reached the Copa del Rey semifinals—though they fell to Athletic Club. However, they at least finished ahead of the Basque side in La Liga but had to settle for fourth place behind surprise package Girona. That might have prompted a major squad overhaul last summer. The revamped squad had a slow start but is now competing on equal footing with Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga, while also playing out a thrilling 4-4 draw with the Catalans in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. In the Champions League, they started with two defeats after beating RB Leipzig but then went on a winning streak, securing direct qualification for the Round of 16. However, they began this stage with a loss, meaning they now need to win—and ideally, not by a narrow margin. Atlético has been dominant at home recently, winning six of their last seven matches at the Metropolitano.
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Real Madrid's season remains open to interpretation. The "Galácticos" were at their peak last season, winning the Supercopa de España, La Liga, and the Champions League. However, this campaign has been less convincing. On one hand, they have only lost one competition so far—the Supercopa, where they suffered a heavy defeat to Barcelona. On the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti has already secured trophies, lifting the UEFA Super Cup in the summer and the Intercontinental Cup in early winter. They still have a chance in the Copa del Rey after beating Real Sociedad 1-0 away in the semifinal first leg, thanks to crucial saves from Andriy Lunin. However, a series of slip-ups in 2025 cost them the La Liga lead. They also struggled in the Champions League group stage, losing three times, which forced them into a February playoff against Manchester City. That was a tough challenge, but Madrid won both legs, sealing a decisive home victory with a Kylian Mbappé masterclass. Last week, they managed a narrow but crucial 2-1 win against their city rivals. Despite their overall strong performances, defensive lapses remain a concern, with Madrid failing to keep a clean sheet in five of their last six matches.
Seven of the last eight meetings, including the previous five, have ended in draws after 90 minutes. The decisive clash promises to be anything but dull. Expect the two giants to produce another high-scoring encounter, with over 2.5 goals looking like the best bet.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
