Manchester United have the chance to silence their critics tonight when they visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
United were poor for long periods of the weekend’s draw against winless Tottenham with accusations again that the players were not working hard enough. The onus is on his boss Michael Carrick and the pressure is starting to mount on the former England midfielder.
The Champions League has been at least a refuge. United thrashed Sabah 4-0 on matchday 1, with Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Lisandro Martínez and Benjamin Šeško on the line, and are currently third in the league stage standings. Maintaining this position would be a major achievement.
Diego Simeone’s Atlético have gone in the complete opposite direction since the opening night. The 2-1 defeat at Liverpool was followed by four straight La Liga wins, including a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the derby and a hard-fought 2-1 win at Alavés on Saturday, where Cristian Romero headed in an 87th-minute winner. Simeone’s side are second in La Liga and have scored 11 goals during that winning streak.
History is not on United’s side either. They have never beaten Atlético in a competitive game, and Simeone’s side knocked them out of the last 16 of the Champions League in 2022.
Where to watch Atletico Madrid-Manchester United: TV and online broadcasts
Atlético de Madrid versus Manchester United starts at 20:00 BST (21:00 local time). In the UK, it is shown on Amazon Prime Video.
If you live outside the UK, click LINK HERE to find out where to watch it in your region.
Atletico Madrid v Manchester United recent form and stats
- Atleti are unbeaten in the four meetings between the teams (W2 D2). Their last encounters came in the last 16 of the 2021/22 Champions League, where they 1-1 draw in Madrid before winning 1-0 in Manchester.
- Atleti also dethroned United as European Cup Winners’ Cup champions in 1991/92, winning the teams’ second-round tie 4-1 on aggregate (3-0 h, 1-1 a).
- Atleti have lost just two of their 19 games against English teams in Spain (W9 D8), drawing three of their last four, including the most recent, 1-1 against Arsenal in the first leg of last season’s semi-finals (1-2 aggregate).
- However, Atlético have won just two of their last 15 games against English sides (D3 L10) and heading into the Champions League group/league stage (D4 L7). going down 2-1 at Liverpool in their first game this season.
- United have lost just one of their last 11 games against Spanish opponents (W7 D3). They beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away i 4-1 at home in the last matches, in the semi-finals of the Europa League 2024/25, to achieve three consecutive victories.
- United’s last 10 games against Spanish opposition have produced 35 goals, an average of 3.5 per game.
