Borussia Dortmund vs Atletico Madrid

Estadio Metropolitano is the venue as Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Atletico Madrid pulled off a superb comeback to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the opening Champions League knockout round to set up their first quarter-final tie since 2016/17. However, Los Rojiblancos come into this tie amidst a patchy spell of form, having won just three of their last eight competitive outings (D2, L3). On the upside, they’ve been remarkable on the continental front this season, losing just once in eight games (W5, D2). Atletico Madrid last clashed against Borussia Dortmund in the 2018/19 Champions League group stages, running out victorious on home turf, which forms part of their impressive 12-game unbeaten home record against German visitors (W8, D4). It’s also worth noting that the Spaniards have never lost a Champions League knockout match at home under Simeone (W10, D6), racking up an eye-catching 12 clean sheets.

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund squeaked past PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League round of 16, claiming a 3-1 aggregate win after a 1-1 first-leg draw on the road. A 1-0 Bundesliga home loss to fellow top-four rivals Stuttgart at the weekend was untimely, knocking Die Borussen down from a five-game winning streak in all competitions while marking their first scoring blank since early February. Adding to the skepticism surrounding Edin Terzic’s camp, the visitors have only registered three victories on their 18 previous visits to Spanish clubs (D5, L10), losing five of their eight most recent such fixtures. Defying that record would significantly increase the German powerhouse’s chances of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since a runner-up finish in 2012/13.