Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League when they host Union SG.

Having secured back-to-back wins in La Liga, Atletico Madrid will be eyeing their second win of the new UEFA Champions League season when they square up against Union SG at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday evening in matchday four.

After a slow start to the season, the home team have certainly picked up pace in recent weeks, having won six out of their last eight games across competitions. However, their record in the Champions League has not been great.

Los Rojiblancos started their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool, but bounced back with a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. However, Diego Simeone’s men got smashed 4-0 by Arsenal in their last European outing. The hosts are 19th on the table, and they will be desperate for all three points to move up the ladder.

Meanwhile, Union SG are 24th in the table with one win in their three European outings thus far. While they kick-started their campaign with an impressive 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven, the Belgian outfit have suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Inter Milan (4-0) and Newcastle United (4-0).

The visitors have won their last three domestic fixtures, and they will be confident about putting up a strong performance against Atletico. However, there is a massive gap in the quality of the two sides; as a result, they might struggle to get the desired result in this away fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Atletico Madrid

Pablo Barrios remains a doubt for the Colchoneros, having missed the last outing because of a groin injury. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Johnny Cardoso is back in the mix. However, he will most likely feature off the bench in this fixture.

Diego Simeone has no other injury concerns, and he should line his team up with a strong starting eleven to get his team back to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League. Atletico Madrid will line up in their preferred 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will be in goal.

Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri should be the full-backs for the home team, while Jose Maria Gimenez should partner David Hancko in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Koke and Alex Baena could be the two central midfielders.

Koke will have the holding role, while Baena should have the license to move further up the pitch. Guiliano Simeone and Nico Gonzalez should feature out wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Alexander Sorloth should pair up with with Julian Alvarez in the final third.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Baena, Gonzalez; Sorloth, Alvarez

Union SG

The visitors do not have any fresh injury concerns, but they do remain without the services of Mohammed Fuseini due to an ankle injury. Union SG will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Kjell Scherpen will be in goal.

The back three will be made up of Kevin Mac Allister, Fedde Leysen, and Christian Burgess. They will receive significant support from Anan Khalaili and Ousseynou Niang, who will feature on the flanks as wing-backs.

Meanwhile, Adem Zorgane will start alongside Kamiel Van De Perre in the centre of the park. The Union SG midfield duo will look to ensure the Atletico Madrid midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.

Anouar Ait El Hadj and Marc Giger will feature as the two attacking midfielders behind Kevin Rodriguez, who will spearhead the attack for Union SG against Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano on Tuesday.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Scherpen; Mac Allister, Burgess, Leysen; Niang, De Perre, Zorgane, Khalaily; Hadj, Giger; Rodriguez

Key Stats

• Atletico Madrid have won six out of their last eight games across competitions.
• Both Atletico Madrid and Union SG have lost two out of their three UEFA Champions League outings this season.
• Diego Simeone’s team have only lost one out of their last 16 UEFA Champions League games at home (W11 D4).
• The Belgian club have let in nine goals in their three European outings this season.
• However, they have scored nine in their last three outings, which will certainly make them feel good heading into this one.

Player to Watch

Julian Alvarez

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Alvarez, who joined Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024 from Manchester City in a big-money move, has already managed to establish himself as one of the mainstays under Diego Simeone. The 25-year-old forward has been involved in 70 matches for the Madrid-based club and has contributed towards 49 goals (37 goals, 12 assists).

In the ongoing campaign, Alvarez has been involved in 13 matches across competitions, and he has contributed towards 12 goals. The Argentine World Cup winner has been in sensational form, and he can certainly have a massive say on the end result of this fixture.

Prediction

Atletico Madrid 4-1 Union SG

Atletico Madrid will be aiming to bounce back from their recent European disappointment when they host Union SG at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday. Diego Simeone’s men have been in fine form domestically, winning six of their last eight games across competitions, and will look to carry that momentum into the Champions League.

Union SG, on the other hand, have shown resilience in their domestic campaign but have struggled to replicate that form in Europe, conceding eight goals in their last two UEFA Champions League outings.

While they are capable of causing problems going forward, their defensive frailties could be exposed by an Atletico Madrid side desperate to respond after the heavy defeat to Arsenal. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for the home team.