The Wanda Metropolitano, only debuting in 2017 to replace the Vicente Calderón Stadium, is already one of the most iconic arenas in European football.
On Wednesday night, Manchester United will grace the Metropolitano for the first time in their Champions League round of 16 clash with Atletico Madrid, taking around 3,000 fans to the 68,000 capacity stadium.
It will be United’s first meeting with the reigning La Liga champions since a disappointing defeat and draw in the 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup - the sides’ only previous encounter. As you look ahead to Wednesday's tie, there are subplots galore.
For the first time since his starting his career at Atletico, David de Gea returns to face his former club. The consensus is that their may be mixed feelings towards the goalkeeper from the home crowd, with the manner in which his time at his hometown club ended possibly a cause for some animosity.
"I like the fact I was born in Madrid, but at the end of the day, it's just a city," De Gea said during a UEFA interview. "Now I feel as if I'm from Manchester, I don't see myself away from United. I just feel like anyone else from Manchester."
In the meantime, Cristiano Ronaldo is to face off against a club that he has had a mass of joy against in the past, back in the city where he staked his claim as one of the game's greatest. In 35 appearances against Atletico, he has scored 25 goals, amassing a total of 30 goal involvements. His two hat-tricks against the Madrid outfit in the Champions League alone embody just how formidable he is in the competition, which has been proven this season.
Ronaldo netted six times in his five group stage outings for United - all goals that bared great significance. Two goals were to break the deadlock en route to wins, with a pair of equalisers in Bergamo and two late winners at Old Trafford. No matter what people may say about his season, he has been utterly invaluable to United in their Champions League campaign to date.
"He has that smell for the goal - having players that can decide games in any moment is helpful." Bruno Fernandes said. "We also have Rapha, who won it four times."
To Ralf Rangnick's relief, he should have a fit Raphael Varane at his disposal after the best part of 90 minutes of rest at the weekend following illness. Winning four Champions League's with Real Madrid, he's another who knows a thing or two about the Spanish capital.
"We have made sure the players could recover in the last few days," Rangnick said in his press conference. "Maybe we will have some fresh legs on the pitch - we will see."
Off the back of a collectively strong performance to overcome adversity and beat Leeds United 4-2 at a hostile Elland Road, there will be a selection headache for the United interim manager, especially given that Edinson Cavani is the only absentee.
"Edi will not make the trip," Rangnick confirmed. "He didn't train and hasn't been training for a couple of weeks. He has problems with his groin and, as long as he doesn't feel ready to sprint, it doesn't make sense to train."
Both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were defensively sound and played to a high level against Leeds, yet Varane's expertise in European competition make him an obvious shout to start. Rangnick has a tough decision on his hands in the centre back department to the extent that there may be scope for a systematic switch to a back three.
In the fullback department, the right side seems an obvious pick; Aaron Wan-Bissaka started against Leeds, though he failed to make as much of an impression as Diogo Dalot had done. Alex Telles has performed well in Europe on the opposite flank, scoring against Villarreal, but he has not featured since his positive Covid test during winter break and Luke Shaw is beginning to find form again.
The midfield is also problematic in terms of selection for Rangnick, with Scott McTominay effervescent at the weekend, whilst Fred scored minutes after his introduction. The man he replaced - Paul Pogba - was arguably the standout performer before his early withdrawal at Elland Road, which was a possible indication that he could be in line to start in Madrid having thrived within the midfield three of late.
Realistically, it is a matter of the two that play alongside Fernandes - now leading the Premier League creation chart by a considerable margin. His impact by way of invention in the Champions League has been similarly as substantial, leading the assist standings with five assists in five matches.
Competition is similarly rife in the attacking areas, with Jadon Sancho now one of the first names on the teamsheet having hit his first real purple patch in a United shirt, providing an assist on each flank against Leeds. Anthony Elanga will be in contention for his first start in knockout European competition after scoring off the bench on Sunday, though Marcus Rashford will be raring to go having started the past two matches amongst the substitutes. Jesse Lingard was relatively unimpactful against Leeds, possibly damaging his chances of a further start.
Atletico are just as well-stocked in terms of talent, making it even more unfathomable as to their sub-par season as holders of La Liga - underperforming much like United. Joao Felix cost over £100 million but has failed to hit any heights yet this season, with Angel Correa outscoring both Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann. The latter is back at Atletico on loan after a somewhat failed triple-figure move to Barcelona, only just returning from injury and unlikely to start on Wednesday.
Atletico have been marred by some Covid issues in the past week, including for one of the main dangermen - Thomas Lemar. Koke (the captain) is a confirmed absentee, whilst young talent Matheus Cunha has been sidelined recently. Yannick Carrasco, suspended for both legs, will be a significant miss.
Last time out at home, Atletico lost to bottom side Levante. Since the start of December, they have lost half of their 14 matches in all competitions. In league terms, they have lost six of their past 11 matches, winning only four times over that period - now sitting outside the Champions League places in fifth. They have already lost three more matches than last season after only 25 matches, only two draws off their tally from the title winning 2020/21 campaign.
A 3-0 league victory away to Osasuna at the weekend marked Atletico's first clean sheet on the road all season, a bad reflection given Diego Simeone's specialty has been organising defences. They have been uncharacteristically porous, with Jan Oblak deteriorating from one of Europe's best to worst goalkeepers on a statistical front.
"He has won trophies with a clear identity, with a recognisable play style," credited Rangnick. "They are always an emotional side and this reflects the character of the manager. Diego Simeone is probably one of the most emotional managers in Europe."
Atletico only qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League by a slender margin, finishing 11 points behind Liverpool having lost three times. Victory against Porto on the closing matchday was only the second win of Atletico's campaign, enabling them to qualify given Liverpool's win over AC Milan.
By contrast, even though it wasn't a perfect run, United managed to secure top spot in their group before the final match. Defeat to Young Boys in Bern offered a torrid start for United, but clutch moments from Ronaldo singlehandedly helped to secure seven points.
Whilst United's progress has been of fluctuation since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Atletico have participated in every edition of the Champions League since the 2013/14 season. Where United haven't featured in the knockout stages of the Champions League in the last two seasons, Atletico have made the round of 16 in the past three years. Simeone has guided the Madrid outfit to two Champions League finals whilst in charge, albeit unsuccessful in both.
With away goals now abolished, it will be interesting to see the approach from Rangnick. Early indications are that Simeone may name a relatively defensive-minded lineup whilst bereft of a number of options, though there is less incentive for the travelling side to opt for a gung-ho approach.
Comments