Atleticovs.Real Madrid

With the hosts now chasing the game, a more offensive XI could be named by the Argentinian, and that could see him draft in one of his compatriots in a positional switcharound.

Marcos Llorente started the first leg at right-back, but could move into midfield as a more attacking option compared to Pablo Barrios, with Nahuel Molina coming in to start on the right-hand side of defence.

Molina started in the clash with Getafe at the weekend, and was taken off before the madness that ensued in the final 15 minutes of that 2-1 defeat.

The only other change from the first leg saw Robin Le Normand replace Clement Lenglet in the heart of defence, and it is essentially a toss up to choose between who will partner the hugely experienced Jose Maria Gimenez.

Cesar Azpilicueta will more than likely be a substitute here, but after returning from injury at the weekend, that means Koke is the only player still sidelined for the hosts, but fortunately, Simeone has more than enough options in the engine room to get by here.

Rodrigo De Paul has been the most important of those players in recent weeks, and he was taken off at half time, along with Samuel Lino, to protect him ahead of this clash, where his midfield partner is not yet clear.

Veteran Antoine Griezmann is another player whose minutes have been managed, being taken off on the 70-minute mark in each of Atleti's last five matches, but that will have been with eyes on this one, where the Frenchman's guile and class will be needed if they are to mount a comeback.

Alongside Griezmann, Julian Alvarez will start for Los Colchoneros, and his stunning strike in the first leg was his seventh in the Champions League this season, putting him tied-sixth in the goalscoring charts, along with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, who he will lineup against here.

Alvarez also netted in the league derby last month, making him just the third Atletico player to score in back-to-back Bernabeu derbies in the 21st century, after Griezmann, and Diego Forlan, and adding another against Los Blancos here could be pivotal in the tie.

Elsewhere in attack, Angel Correa will be available despite his domestic red card at the weekend, but he will only partner Alexander Sorloth on the bench again, even though the Norwegian scored his seventh goal as a substitute this season in La Liga on Sunday - the highest tally of any player in the top-five European leagues.

Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Molina, Gimenez, Le Normand, Javi Galan; Simeone, Marcos Llorente, De Paul, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann

Written by

Andrew Delaney