SM
Inter Milan vs. Como: 11 hrs 38 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
LL
Champions League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 18, 2017 at 7.45pm UK
 
AM

1-1

Vardy (61')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Niguez (26')

Preview: Leicester City vs. Atletico Madrid

:Headline: Preview: Leicester City vs. Atletico Madrid: ID:296213: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Tuesday night's Champions League quarter-final second leg between Leicester City and Atletico Madrid at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester City will be looking to extend their fairytale Champions League run when they welcome Atletico Madrid to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Foxes are still very much in the tie following a 1-0 defeat at the Vicente Calderon, but must now topple the European giants if they are to progress into the semi-finals.


Leicester

The prospect of being potentially 90 minutes away from the semi-finals of the Champions League will still feel like a dream to many of the Leicester players and fans.

This time two years ago the Foxes looked destined for an immediate return to the Championship, whereas now they only need one result to put them amongst the top four teams in European football.

It is a fairytale story with all the twists and turns of a film script - from their remarkable title success last season to their slump this term and subsequent decision to brutally sack the man who delivered their finest hour.

Out of the ashes comes the phoenix, though, and Leicester were reborn under Craig Shakespeare with victories in their first six outings following the departure of Claudio Ranieri, including a 2-0 triumph at home to Spanish opposition Sevilla in the last round of this competition.

That scoreline would be enough to see them through to the semi-finals on Tuesday, without the need for extra time or penalties, and it is worth noting that Sevilla were above Atletico in La Liga at the time of their loss to Leicester.

There is very recent precedent for them prevailing in exactly this type of situation, then, but their barnstorming start under Shakespeare has faltered of late, throwing away leads against Everton and Crystal Palace in Premier League matches either side of their defeat in the first leg.

The threat of relegation is certainly more distant now than it was just two months ago, but Leicester have still not reached the 40-point mark and, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur all still to play this season, survival must remain their number one goal.

That was evidenced by Shakespeare's refusal to rest key players for the weekend draw with Palace, although that is not to say that they will take their foot off the pedal for the visit of Atletico either.

Leicester will be happy to return to the King Power Stadium, where they have won their last six games across all competitions - something they did not achieve at all during their title-winning season and have not managed since October 2013.

The Foxes have also won all four of their Champions League home games, scoring six goals and conceding just one in the process, and will be relishing the opportunity of another European night under the floodlights knowing that the odds point to it being their last for some considerable time.

Recent form: DWLLWL
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLLD


Atletico Madrid

When it comes to European pedigree in recent years, there could not be much more of a gulf between these two sides.

This is Atletico's fourth consecutive season in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and they have gone on to reach the final in two of the past three years, whereas Leicester are participating in their first ever Champions League campaign.

The set-up of the two teams also looked to be the worst possible match for a Leicester side who thrive on the counter-attack, with Atletico nowhere near as likely to go gung-ho as a Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich might have done.

Despite all that, though, Diego Simeone's side find themselves with work still to do at the halfway stage of the tie having only managed a 1-0 win at the Vicente Calderon last week - and that via a controversial penalty.

It is certainly a different test to what Atletico have come up against at this stage of the competition in recent seasons, with Barcelona (twice) and Real Madrid providing their quarter-final opposition over the past three years. Atletico failed to win the away leg in any of those ties, although not by a scoreline that would see them dumped out on Tuesday.

The Rojiblancos have won 10 and drawn five of their last 21 Champions League away games, losing just one this season - at Bayern Munich - on their way to winning Group D and subsequently easing past Bayer Leverkusen in the last round.

The last time Atletico lost a Champions League game by a scoreline which would see them eliminated after 90 minutes on Tuesday was in December 2009, with all six of their defeats in their last 21 away fixtures coming by a one-goal scoreline.

The Spanish giants have also progressed from the last 16 European ties in which they have won the home first leg, including overcoming Bayern Munich in last season's semi-finals while protecting a 1-0 lead. The last team to overcome such an advantage against Atletico was OFI Crete in the 1993-94 UEFA Cup second round.

Simeone's side are also unbeaten in 12 away matches across all competitions since the turn of the year, but they are sure to face a unique atmosphere when they arrive at the King Power Stadium for arguably the biggest match in Leicester's history.

Even so, it is a huge task for the Foxes to score twice in 90 minutes against a side that has only conceded that many goals in their past nine matches across all competitions, keeping seven clean sheets in that time.

Recent form: WWLWDW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWDWW


Team News

Leicester are sweating over the fitness of captain Wes Morgan, who has missed his side's last six games with a back injury.

Should the skipper fail to recover in time then Shakespeare could be faced with a defensive dilemma as Robert Huth is suspended and Yohan Benalouane was forced off early against Palace.

Benalouane is expected to be fit in time for the match, though, while Marcin Wasilewski is available as backup.

Islam Slimani is a major doubt, meanwhile, while Nampalys Mendy and Molla Wague are also long-term absentees.

Atletico will be hopeful of a return for Kevin Gameiro after he returned to training following a groin injury, but Sime Vrsaljko remains a doubt with a knee problem.

Jose Gimenez, Wilfred Ndidi, Jamie Vardy and Slimani are all one booking away from a ban.

Leicester possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Benalouane, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton; Vardy, Okazaki

Atletico possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Juanfran, Savic, Godin, Luis; Carrasco, Koke, Gabi, Saul; Torres, Griezmann


Head To Head

Atletico are something of an unlikely bogey team for Leicester, with two of the Foxes' previous three European campaigns coming to an end at the hands of the capital outfit.

The two sides most recently met in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup first round when Atletico won 4-1 on aggregate, while they were 3-1 winners over two legs in the first round of the 1961-62 Cup Winners' Cup.

Atletico have only won two of their previous 10 matches on English soil, but their record in two-legged ties against English opposition stands at six wins and two defeats, with Bolton Wanderers the last Premier League team to beat them - in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.


We say: Leicester 1-1 Atletico Madrid

It is sure to be an electric atmosphere inside the King Power Stadium and Leicester have been brilliant at home recently, but Atletico are a team who know how to get the job done on such occasions. The visitors will want an early away goal to ease any tension, and we can see them doing enough to book their place in another semi-final, ending Leicester's run in the process.



amp_article__296213 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2017-04-23 00:54:59:
html db last update - 2017-04-23 00:54:59 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Read more!
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico18125133122141
2Real Madrid18124241182340
3Barcelona19122551222938
4Athletic Bilbao19106329171236
5Villarreal188643430430
6Mallorca199371921-230
7Real Sociedad187471613325
8GironaGirona187472625125
9Real BetisBetis186752122-125
10Osasuna186752327-425
11Celta Vigo187382728-124
12Rayo Vallecano185762021-122
13Las PalmasLas Palmas186482327-422
14Sevilla186482027-722
15Leganes184681728-1118
16AlavesAlaves184592130-917
17Getafe183781115-416
18Espanyol1843111630-1415
19Valencia172691626-1012
20Real ValladolidValladolid1833121237-2512
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .