UEFA Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid preview

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February 24th, 2015
Back UEFA Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid preview

Bayer Leverkusen will try to make history when they host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in the last-16 round of the Champions League as they never won a tie at this stage before. They have reached the final in 2002 but the competition format was different back then as it included a second group stage. Leverkusen have won three of their last four games at home in the Champions League but lost their last four ties over two legs against Spanish opponents.

Leverkusen finished second behind Monaco in Group C, probably the weakest group in this season's competition. In the domestic league they have pretty much struggled so far, they are currently sixth with 33 points in 22 games. Atletico have reached the quarter finals of the Champions League six times before and they made it to the final last season but got defeated by city rivals Real Madrid. Atletico have lost just one of their last nine away matches in the Champions League but their record against Bundesliga sides is not that good: five wins, three draws and seven losses.

Leverkusen will be without suspended Omer Toprak while Robbie Kruse and Lars Bender are expected to miss out through injury. Atletico will have to do without midfielder Koke but there are no other injury concerns for head coach Diego Simeone. The two teams have last met in the group stages of the Europa League in 2010 and both matches ended 1-1.

Probable line-ups:

Leverkusen: Leno - Castro, Reinartz, Papadopoulos, Wendell - Brandt, Calhanoglu, Rolfes, Bellerabi - Son, Drmic

Atletico: Oblak - Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Siqueira - Gabi, Tiago, Garcia - Turan, Mandzukic, Griezmann

My prediction: Atletico to win 1-0.

Here are the odds for the match at Bet365:

Leverkusen win - 11/5 Draw - 11/5 Atletico win - 6/4

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