UCL Match Preview: Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg Predictions

Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg predictions

Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg predictions and match preview for Tuesday’s game in the UEFA Champions League. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as Atleti target their first win in this year’s competition.

  • DATE: Tuesday 27th October 2020
  • KICK-OFF: 21:00 (local time)
  • VENUE: Wanda Metropolitano
  • COMPETITION: UEFA Champions League (Group Stage)

Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg Preview


Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg predictions

Atletico Madrid are under pressure to deliver the goods having started their Champions League campaign with a heavy defeat in Munich last week. RB Salzburg, their most likely rivals for 2nd place in Group A, provide the opposition on what is an important evening at the Wanda Metropolitano.

We are not accustomed to seeing Diego Simeone teams dismantled in such a fashion as they were by Bayern. Atleti did respond in the right manner though by beating Real Betis 2-0 in LaLiga at the weekend to extend their unbeaten start to the domestic calendar. Simeone may like to brush off the defeat in Germany as a very bad day at the office against a very good team and we shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out whether or not that was the case.

The games come thick and fast, both in Europe and in Spain, before the end of 2020. The loss of Thomas Partey on deadline day was clearly a significant blow, but in LaLiga at least Atleti have remained defensively sound, conceding just once in five league games so far this term. Luis Suarez has made a decent start but Simeone is still in the process of trying to build the right structure around him.

As for RB Salzburg, on paper they are a much inferior side to the one that scored 16 goals in the group stage of last season’s UEFA Champions League. The likes of Erling Haaland, Hwang Hee-Chan and Takumi Minamino have all departed and it was always going to be virtually impossible for them to replace that kind of quality.

However they have made a 100% start to their league season and had the better of their opening Champions League game against Lokomotiv Moscow and would have been frustrated to have only come away with a 2-2 draw.

Head to Head

  • This will be the first ever competitive meeting.

Team News

Jose Gimenez may return to give Atleti’s defence a timely boost. Saul and Diego Costa remain sidelined through injury.

Salzburg may name the same XI that started against Lokomotiv Moscow last week.

Predicted Atleti Starting Lineup:

Oblak – Lodi, Gimenez, Savic, Trippier – Carrasco, Koke, Herrera, Llorente – Felix, Suarez (4-4-2)

Predicted RB Salzburg Starting Lineup:

Stankovic – Ulmer, Wober, Ramalho, Vallci – Szoboszlai, Junuzovic, Camara, Mwepu – Koita, Daka (4-4-2)


Atletico Madrid vs Salzburg Predictions


Score Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-0 RB Salzburg

Atleti may not look like a team that is going to be serious contenders to win this competition this season but they are still experienced European campaigners and even against the very top sides, you always fancy their chances on Champions League nights at the Wanda Metropolitano. RB Salzburg don’t carry quite the same punch this season up front and this is a game Diego Simeone’s side should win.

UEFA Champions League Betting Tips (18+)

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Read our latest Champions League & Europa League match previews.


Spanish football writer
About Mark Sochon 1983 Articles
Mark is a freelance writer based in Madrid, writing mostly about Spanish football. His work has been published by the likes of Guardian Sport & World Soccer. Contact: marksochon (at) hotmail.co.uk