Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich: can Simeone's side halt the German giants?

Atletico Madrid host Bayern Munich at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday, with both sides looking to strengthen their Champions League campaigns.

The visitors currently sit 14th in the league-phase table with five points, while Diego Simeone's Atletico are 16th with four from their opening three fixtures.

Atletico have enjoyed an impressive turnaround domestically, winning nine of their last ten matches in all competitions and keeping six clean sheets during that run.

Their latest outing ended in a comfortable 2-0 victory away to Levante, leaving them second in La Liga with 28 points, just two behind leaders Barcelona.

Simeone is expecting a difficult evening against the German champions, admitting: "You're going to face a powerful, strong side, and we'll have to get through some difficult, tough moments."

The hosts have also been particularly strong at the Wanda Metropolitano, winning five and drawing one of their six home matches this season.

As for Bayern, Vincent Kompany's side remain top of the Bundesliga after a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.

However, their European campaign has stalled somewhat, drawing 3-3 against Viking FK and 2-2 against Arsenal in their last two Champions League fixtures.

Harry Kane will be crucial if Bayern are to return to winning ways, with the England captain having enjoyed another impressive campaign.

The Ballon d'Or winner is expecting a difficult test in Madrid, saying: "I expect a tough game. It's my first time playing Atletico Madrid, we know what they bring and how dangerous they can be in attack."

Previous meetings:

The two sides have met six times over the past decade, with Bayern winning three, Atletico claiming two victories and the remaining fixture ending in a draw.

Their most recent meeting came in December 2020, when the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Madrid.

Despite Bayern's overall advantage, they have never won away against Atletico, making Tuesday's trip another opportunity to overcome a difficult European opponent.

Team news:

Atletico have concerns over Johnny Cardoso, who remains sidelined with a thigh injury, while Morten Hjulmand is suspended following his red card against Stuttgart.

Koke has returned to training after a muscular problem and could feature, providing Simeone with a welcome boost in midfield.

Bayern will be without Luis Diaz, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Ismael Saibari and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye.

Michael Olise and Manuel Neuer have both returned to training and travelled to Madrid, although their availability remains subject to late fitness assessments.

Vincent Kompany will also miss the match as he continues his recovery from a medical issue, with assistant Aaron Danks expected to take charge.

Predicted line-ups:

Atletico Madrid predicted XI (4-4-2): Jan Oblak; Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Dávid Hancko, Álex Grimaldo; Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Alejandro Baena; Ademola Lookman, Julián Álvarez.

Bayern Munich predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Josip Stanisic, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Konrad Laimer; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Michael Olise, Lennart Karl, Alphonso Davies; Harry Kane.