The 2020-21 UEFA Champions League returns this week, with Chelsea taking on Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania.
The teams meet in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since the group stages of the 2017-18 edition, with the Blues winning 2-1 in Madrid before sharing the spoils at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, under former manager Frank Lampard, remained unbeaten in the group stages and will begin the next phase of the competition with Thomas Tuchel in the hot seat. The German manager has made a positive start to life with the Blues (five wins and two draws across all competitions) and seeks to continue the run against Atletico Madrid.
The Colchoneros, who sit atop the La Liga standings, have lost once in six games but won’t start as favorites despite the plethora of attacking talents at their disposal. Diego Simeone’s men were not at their best in the group stage - two wins in Group A - but their biggest success came against RB Leipzig (a come-from-behind 3-2 win).
Speaking of the head-to-head record, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are evenly poised in terms of wins and losses (two victories and two losses) and have played out three draws.
The latest Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea fixture is particularly important for Simeone, who seeks to preserve his unbeaten status at home in the knockout stages of the Champions League (nine wins, four draws).
Atletico Madrid news and injury updates
Atletico will take the field against Chelsea without the services of Jose Gimenez, Yannick Carrasco (muscle problems), Sime Vrsaljko (unfit), and Hector Herrera, who recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Chelsea news and injury updates
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva is the only absentee for the fixture against Atletico Madrid due to a thigh injury sustained during a Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, while Jorginho, who was benched against Southampton over the weekend, is likely to start against the Madrid club.
Where to watch Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea live in India?
The Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea UCL match will be telecast live at 1:30 AM IST on Sony TEN 2 SD and Sony TEN 2 HD TV channels in India, on Wednesday, February 24.
Live streaming of Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea UEFA Champions League match will be on SonyLIV.
SportsAdda will bring you Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea live scores.
For Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea football odds and betting, visit Sportsbet.io and look under Top Events - International Clubs - UEFA Champions League.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / GLYN KIRK
