Eleven months after their epic Champions League final showdown last season, bitter rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid lock horns once again as they square off in the quarterfinals of Europe’s biggest soccer club competition. A lot has changed since that fateful meeting last May with Atletico asserting their dominance over Real, going unbeaten in their six encounters with the Galacticos this season.
Can Atletico exact revenge for their heartbreaking defeat last season? Or will Real deal another blow to Diego Simeone’s European aspirations? Read on below for a breakdown of this mouth-watering quarterfinal clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our Champions League quarterfinal previews of Bayern Munich vs. FC Porto and PSG vs. FC Barcelona.
Real Madrid’s quest for back to back Champions League titles is still very much alive after a nervy 5-4 aggregate win over FC Schalke in the round of 16. Armed with a 2-0 lead heading into their second-leg clash at the Bernabeu, it seemed like the tie was pretty much in the bag for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Schalke proved to be a tough nut to crack, though, as they scored four away goals to push Real Madrid to the brink. They fell one goal short, however, of nabbing a massive upset as the Galacticos bagged their fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance in this competition.
It won’t get any easier for Real Madrid in the next round, however, as they will next face crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals. For the Galacticos to advance into the Final Four, they will need to sort out quickly their problematic defense.
Much has been said about Real’s scoring exploits but their stay in the competition won’t last any longer if they continue to leak goals at the back. In their last European game against Schalke, the German side constantly punished Real Madrid in the counter-attack as they looked disjointed particularly in their midfield set-up.
It was surprising to see Schalke dominate proceedings in Real Madrid’s own backyard, with the Bundesliga outfit controlling 54% of the possession in that game. Their defensive woes have also surfaced in their domestic campaign this year as well with Real Madrid already losing four times in the Spanish Primera Liga this 2015.
Fortunately for Real, help is on the way as Luka Modric is back to provide stability in midfield. He is a crucial weapon for the Galacticos in the sense that he can quickly turn defense into attack with his probing passes. If he and Toni Kroos can assert their influence in the middle of the park, the Galacticos have a better chance of advancing into the next round.
Apart from controlling the midfield battle, it’s vital that they put the clamps on Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic. The duo has formed quite a partnership up front for Atletico this season, combining for 39 goals this campaign.
Atletico Madrid stayed on course for a second consecutive European final after edging past Bayer Leverkusen in penalties in the round of 16 last month. Mario Suarez scored the equalizer for Atletico in the second leg before Fernando Torres applied the finishing touches in the shootout with a sublime penalty that all but sealed Atletico’s dream rematch with Real.
It will be their first meeting in the Champions League stage since that fateful championship showdown where Real came back from a goal down to win 4-1 and lift their 10th European crown. Atletico has bounced back strongly from that stinging defeat, though, as they have won four times and drawn twice in six meetings against Real Madrid this season.
For Atletico to continue their recent dominance against Real, they will need to continue their strong play on the defensive end. Atletico’s defense has been impenetrable this season, allowing just three goals in their eight matches in the tournament thus far. The main reason behind that defensive brilliance is the excellent form of center-backs Miranda, Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez who have formed quite an understanding in the back for Atletico.
This world-class defense will be put to the test, though, against Real Madrid’s galaxy of stars. They will have to give special attention to reigning World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo who leads Real Madrid in goals (37) and assists (12) this season. He became the Champions League record scorer in Real’s last game against Schalke, surpassing Lionel Messi with his 76th goal.
It’s not all Ronaldo, though, for Real who possess the second-best attack in the Champions League this season with 21 goals to their name. Joining Ronaldo up front is Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale who have scored 15 and 13 goals respectively for the defending champions this season.
That will not faze Atletico one bit, though, as they have repeatedly shut down Real’s vaunted attack this season, especially at home. In three meetings with Real at the Vicente Calderon this season, they have outscored the Galacticos, 7-0.
