LIVERPOOL have fond memories of the Wanda Metropolitano and will hope to stay on track for a third successive Champions League Final by avoiding defeat against Atletico Madrid.
It was at Atletico's impressive new home that Jurgen Klopp's men were crowned kings of the continent last season with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham.
And the Anfield boss will be out to prove he's the king of knockout European football by seeing off the Spanish giants to reach the quarter-finals.
Liverpool incredibly haven't lost a knockout Euro game across two legs since crashing to Besiktas in the 2014/15 Europa League when Brendan Rodgers was boss.
Under Klopp they have reached two Champions League finals and one Europa League showpiece, an incredible run that shows no sign of stopping.
Winning a first Premier League title since 1990 was the top priority this season but that piece of silverware is already in the bag with the Reds 25 points clear at the top.
So Klopp and his players can now focus on defending their European crown, with Atletico providing a stern test in the last 16.
Diego Simeone's men are on a poor run of form, winning just one of their last seven games in all competitions, yet remain a formidable foe in Europe.
Atletico have lost just once in their last 25 European home games but it was an English side who inflicted that defeat, with Chelsea winning 2-1 in the 2017/18 group stage.
Simeone's men have won 20 of those games so despite their poor recent form they are more than capable of hurting Liverpool.
How the bookies view it
Atletico are rarely outsiders in a home Euro fixture so plenty of punters might take a nibble at the 13/5 Unibet are offering on a win for Simeone's side.
Liverpool are 6/5 with most firms but I fancy this to end in a stalemate, which is 121/50 at Marathonbet.
Head to head
There has been little between these sides in past European fixtures, with Atletico just edging the head to head. They beat Liverpool in the 2009/2010 Europa League semi-final but only on away goals after extra-time.
It finished 1-0 to the home side after 90 minutes in both legs but Diego Forlan's strike put the Spanish side through at Anfield after Liverpool had gone 2-0 up in extra-time.
Their only other meeting came in the Champions League group stage the season before that, with both games ending 1-1. Steven Gerrard scored a last-gasp penalty at Anfield to salvage a point after Maxi Rodriguez's opener (below).
Players to watch
Mo Salah was the man who made the difference on Liverpool's last European road trip, scoring a superb solo goal to seal a 2-0 win in Salzburg.
The Egyptian (below) has scored three goals in his last three games so offers a decent value at 11/5 with Unibet for a strike in Madrid.
Angel Correa has six goals in his last 10 games for Atletico and has been preferred to Alvaro Morata of late when Simeone has gone for just one up front. The Argentine is as big as 19/5 with Unibet for a goal here and that looks overpriced.
If you fancy Salah and Correa to both get on the scoresheet, Skybet are offering odds of 10/1.
Anything else catch the eye?
Every match between these sides has seen under 2.5 goals in the 90 minutes and I expect there to be a repeat here at 7/10 with Betfair.
I fancied Liverpool to get a few goals at Norwich on Saturday but they only broke through once and don't seem to be at their thrilling best.
The first leg of a knockout Euro tie can be pretty cagey so try backing the score to be level at half-time, which is a best 11/10 at Bet365.
The card markets have been good for me of late, with the ever-dependable Granit Xhaka delivering again on Sunday in Arsenal's clash with Newcastle.
Here, I fancy Jordan Henderson to be carded at 16/5 with William Hill in what could become a midfield scrap.
This UEFA Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool will be played on Feb 18, 2020 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
