Diego Simeone embarks on his 12th Champions League campaign with Atletico Madrid as they prepare to host RB Leipzig on Thursday in the Spanish capital. Both teams have made strong starts to their domestic seasons, showcasing their ambitions with notable summer signings.
Atletico Madrid currently sits in the top four of La Liga with 11 points from their first five matches, demonstrating resilience against tough opponents like Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal, and Girona. Their impressive home form in the Champions League adds to their confidence; last season, they were the only team to win all their home matches in the competition, boasting a perfect record of five victories.
The matchup against Leipzig presents an opportunity for Atletico to extend their unbeaten run against Bundesliga clubs, having not lost to a German side this century—recording eight wins and four draws. With past disappointments in the Champions League lingering, including a heart-wrenching quarter-final exit to Leipzig in 2020, Atletico is eager to capitalize on the new competition format and aim for deeper progress.
On the other hand, RB Leipzig, under Marco Rose, is also keen to make their mark. Despite a recent draw against Union Berlin, they started the season with promise, notably coming back from 2-0 down to defeat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2, marking a historic win over the reigning German champions. As they face formidable opponents like Juventus, Inter Milan, and Liverpool in the group stage, Leipzig will be determined to assert themselves on the European stage after previously only reaching the quarter-finals once.
As both teams look to establish momentum, this clash promises to be an exciting encounter, with both Atletico and Leipzig vying for crucial points early in their Champions League campaigns.