Matchday 5 of the Champions League group stage will be followed by a duel in Group A on Wednesday night: Atletico Madrid hosts AS Monaco at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano. The Rojiblancos lead together with BVB the group after four matchdays. Both teams have nine points in the account. With a victory, the team of coach Simeone would definitely book the round of 16. The same applies if Bruges can not win the parallel match in Dortmund. The Monegas have been able to collect only one point and have already retired from the premier class. The wintering in the Europa League would theoretically still be possible for the Red-Whites. But you would have to catch up on the last two matchdays still a gap of three points to Bruges. But the job in Madrid is going to be tough: Atletico have all won their last seven European home games.
In the first leg of the group stage, both clubs met for the first time in their history. Madrid won on Matchday 1 2-1 in the Principality. Madrid have won their last three games against teams from France. Against teams of Ligue 1, there was only one defeat in 14 games. For six games you are unbeaten against French clubs. There were four wins and two draws during that period. At home they are unbeaten against Ligue 1 teams and could win five of the six games. Before the first leg defeat against Madrid Monaco had won three games in a row against Spanish teams. In ten European games in Spain for the Monegasque there were two wins, a draw and seven defeats. In our analysis of the CL game Atletico Madrid Vs. Monaco is the tip “Atletico wins to zero”.
Atletico Madrid:
In the last CL season, the Colchoneros had a little heavier. It was only possible to win one game in the group stage in 2017/18 and thus had to continue playing in the Europa League. But things went well there and the Rojiblancos finally won the competition for the third time. Meanwhile, the Spaniards are true European Cup experts: In the last nine seasons you could reach two Champions League and three Europa League finals. There were only two defeats in the last 18 international games. There are also twelve wins and four draws. But this year you want to hibernate again in the premier class and is well on target.
Also in La Liga it runs this season again quite properly for Atletico. After 13 games, the Simeone-Elf is in third place, one point behind Barca and two points behind leaders Sevilla. So far, the captain had to accept this season only a league defeat. In domestic Wanda Metropolitano Atletico is unbeaten with five wins and two draws. In addition, the Colchoneros again with only nine goals against the best defensive La Liga. The second season deficit was on Matchday 3 of the CL Group. The 0: 4 at BVB was the highest defeat in the term of Diego Simeone. This ended a series of five European Cup wins in a row. Since the defeat in Dortmund Madrid is unbeaten in six competitive matches. On Saturday, Barca was the top player in the league. When everything looked like a victory for the hosts, they were still compensated by Dembélé in the 90th minute. Against Monaco coach Simeone has to renounce players like Giménez, Juanfran, Savic, Hernandez, Costa and Godin. Many hopes rest on Griezmann, who contributed ten goals in his last ten CL home games.
Monaco:
After the AS Monaco had won only one victory in the first nine games of the season in the French league and was in 18th place, was released after four years of success coach Leonardo Jardim. As a successor was in mid-October, the former professional Monegassen Thierry Henry committed. The French World and European champion had started his professional football career in the Principality and most recently worked as co-coach of the Belgian national team. Henry received a contract until his first station as head coach until 2021. But the French football legend was able to provide in Monaco still no turnaround. In the first six games under Henry, the AS could celebrate no victory. It had to accept some bitter defeats, such as the 0: 4 at home on Matchday 4 of the Champions League against Bruges.
Only last Saturday finally broke the knot. On Matchday 14 of the Ligue 1, the red-whites were able to finish their series of 16 straight matches in a row with the 1-0 at SM Caen. Despite the first threesome under Henry, the Monegas are still stuck deep in the table cellar. With just ten points, the AS is on the penultimate place. In the preseason you had at the same time 19 points more in the account. However, the gap to the first non-relegation zone, which is currently occupied by Caen, is only two points. The AS Monaco had in the preseason nor the vice-championship in France to celebrate and thus qualified directly for the group stage of the premier class. In European Cup Monaco waiting for twelve games for a win. During this period, there were three draws and nine defeats. Thierry Henry has to do without Madrid players like Glik, Lopes, Aholou, Ndoram, Mboula and Jovetić. The stakes of Raggi, Pellegri, Toure and Traore are still questionable.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / NO @ 1.45
