Man City vs. Atletico Madrid updates. 20 minutes to kickoff: There's rarely such consternation over a Simeone line-up, even allowing for Cholo's fairly recent switch from his trusty compact 4 ...
50 minutes to kickoff: As is often the case with a Guardiola XI, who plays where is the big question. 1 hour 40 mins to kickoff: It's that time of year again where all eyes will be on whether Pep Guardiola has a tactical brainwave for a major Champions League game. Some of the scrutiny around Guardiola's tactical calls is a little imbalanced. Paramount+ will also stream the match. 1 hour to kickoff: So, are those "stupid tactics" to quote the man himself? The teams are going through their warm-ups amid a steady stream of Manchester drizzle. 5 minutes to kickoff: The atmosphere in here is ramping up nicely as kick-off approaches. The teamsheets are under half an hour away... As Guardiola would say - and this was kind of his very sarcastic point yesterday - we'll only really know once we see how it all shakes out. You know exactly what you’re going to get from Atletico and Simeone’s players are rigorously familiar with what their coach requires. 2nd minute - City have lined up with Cancelo at right-back, Ake and left-back and Stones and Laporte at centre-back. It was 3-2 midway through the first half, which sounds great but my fingers might fall off if anything like that goes down again.
Minute-by-minute report: Join Rob Smyth for updates as Diego Simeone's side return to Manchester after toppling United.
It’s Manchester City v Atletico Madrid, with the winners to face either Chelsea or Real Madrid in a semi-final which, whatever the permutation, will be loaded with meaning.The first leg of the quarter-final is at the Etihad tonight, with the second at the Wanda Metropolitano next Wednesday. City are strong favourites, for reasons that would be intelligence-insulting to explain, and all things being equal they will go through. But all things weren’t equal when Atletico put Guardiola’s Bayern out in the 2015-16 semi-final, or when they eliminated a rampant Liverpool two years ago, or when Pep was too funky by far against Spurs/Lyon/Chelsea.If Atletico can get out of Manchester with at worst a one-goal deficit, they will fancy their chances next week. They’ve won seven of their last eight games, and the eighth - a draw at home to Manchester United in the last 16 - ultimately led to victory. We want to impose our game but they are a good team - champions of Spain, and they have always had good results in Europe. They’re a tough opponent.“John [Stones] will play with Aymer in the centre and Nathan [will play at left-back]. We have players on the bench who can change the game - Gabi, Phil, Jack. But I decided to start with these guys today.”Manchester City’s Phil Foden (left) and Jack Grealish head out for the warm up. “Speaking of Football Weekly,” says Matt Burtz. “I’ve been a faithful listener for many years now, and I’ve always wondered if we’ll ever get to hear your dulcet tones as a panelist. But it’s the Withering Depths of Simeone’s sh!thousing Atletico that I’m looking forward to enjoying tonight.” It won’t be the same without Hector Herrera.
Everything you need to know ahead of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
City topped their group in the earlier round, while Atletico were runners-up in theirs. At the weekend they warmed up for the tie with a routine victory over Burnley, while the Spanish side hammered Alaves to make it six straight wins in all competitions. Both Guardiola and opposite number Diego Simeone have faced heartache in the final of this competition with their current clubs, but City remain the favourites to go the distance this time - even if this will be a huge test for the Cityzens in the last eight.
Pep Guardiola says he will be ready with "stupid tactics" as Man City gets set to face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League ...
Couple that with Atletico Madrid's defensive style — Atleti only conceded eight corners against Man United across both Champions League Round of 16 legs despite conceding much of possession — and it's hard to see Man City getting five or more corners in a half in this match. Even in a 5-0 blowout of Sporting CP, the team managed six corners, while it picked up seven in the home leg, a 0-0 draw. City has been one of the best sides in Europe the past three to five years, but has zero Champions League titles to show for it. Up against the Citizens is Atletico Madrid, which sits third in the La Liga table, well behind runaway leaders Real Madrid but on a great run of league form. While Man City averages 7 corners a game this season across all competitions, the Champions League is a different story. While that will give City reason to worry about Atletico Madrid's fantastic finishing abilities, it also suggests that against a better side, the goals could dry up.
Here's what you need to know about Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinal round.
Atletico Madrid has been more successful in attack than many would think, with its 57 goals for tied for second overall in La Liga play. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. This matchup represents a true contrast of styles, with the high-scoring Premier League club going up against the defensive juggernaut of La Liga. Pep Guardiola’s side has occasionally had problems with these types of teams, so the matchup could be interesting.