Atletico Madrid vs FC Copenhagen Predictions and Match Preview, 22 Feb 2018

The Match Is Over. Score: 1-0

Atletico Madrid v FC Copenhagen Predictions for Thursday's 6.00pm kick-off Europa League Round of 32 1st Leg at Wanda Metropolitano. The Madrid outfit came from one goal behind to take a 3-goal advantage into the second leg at home against the Danish champions courtesy of 4-1 victory last week.

Match status: 2017-18 Europa League Round of 32
Kick-off: Thursday 22 Feb 2018, 06:00pm GMT
Venue: Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid, Spain)

Atletico Madrid v FC Copenhagen Team News

The hosts and in incredible form ahead of this clash as they bounced back from the disappointing results (3-1 and 2-1 defeats by Sevilla) that saw them knocked out of the Copa del Rey late in January, either side of a 1-1 league draw against Girona, with subsequent five back-to-back wins including that thrashing of Copenhagen.

It allowed them to move seven points within La Liga leaders Barcelona and nine and ten clear of Valencia in third and Real Madrid right behind respectively, but what is more remarkable in their form is, Diego Simeone's side seem to have rediscovered their defensive solidity by not conceding in the last four La Liga outings with only one goal coming in last week's trip to the Denmark capital.

And given Atletico Madrid will be on their home soil, where they have kept 11 clean sheets out of a possible 18 during all season, makes things incredibly difficult for the Lions as they must reverse that three-goal deficit in the first place to retain any hopes of progress.

Speaking of the Danish champions travelling to Spain, they have been anything but successful both in the league and Danish Cup, which they surprisingly exited at the early stage of only fourth round, while their aspirations of defending their champions title are seemingly impossible because of the 21 points gap off leaders Midtjylland, to whom they lost at the weekends, and a distant position in the table.

While so defensively inconsistent, Manager Stale Solbakken side's league records are pretty balanced - W8 D5 L8 and with a +10 goal difference (39 for to 29 against) from 21 games but it's not how the twelve-time top-flight champions and title holders of the last two seasons of the Danish Superliga should be faring though.

Teams' Potential Starting Line-ups:

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Moya; Luis, Godin, Gimenez, Juanfran; Vitolo, Gabi, Partey, Carrasco; Gameiro, Torres.

FC Copenhagen (4-4-2): Olsen; Boilesen, Luftner, Vavro, Ankersen; Jensen, Zeca, Gregus, Skov; Sotiriou, Fischer.