MANCHESTER UNITED will be bidding to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they welcome Atletico Madrid to Old Trafford for the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night.
The tie is delicately poised following a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital last month, on a night where both of my recommended plays delivered profit.
United were far from their best in the first leg but they have put themselves in a good position to reach the last-eight of Europe's elite club competition for only the third time in the last 10 years.
Ralf Rangnick's team ought to be buoyed following a thrilling 3-2 win over Tottenham on Saturday evening, in another game which brought up both of my suggested selections.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have performed far below expectations this season but much of their troubles have come from a slow start and they are starting to show signs of recovery.
Diego Simeone's side have collected maximum points from each of their last four La Liga matches to move up to fourth-place so they will be in high spirits coming into this contest.
Outright Betting
Manchester United, who have yet to taste defeat at Old Trafford in this season's Champions League, head into this eagerly-anticipated second-leg encounter as 6/5 (SBK) favourites.
Atletico Madrid have already fallen to defeat on English soil this season and the bookmakers' odds suggest that they could suffer a similar fate Tuesday night, with an away trading at 5/2 (SBK) while another 90 minute draw between the pair pays 9/4 (SBK).
Betting Angles
I successfully backed both teams to score when these two sides squared-off in the Spanish capital and I'm more than happy to back each team to oblige again at Old Trafford at 28/29 (SBK).
Whilst Ralf Rangnick has a plethora of attacking talent to turn towards, the Red Devils have struggled at the back, having failed to shutout their opponents 22 of their Premier League matches this season so far, shipping six strikes across their last two league games.
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, a team so often renowned for defensive stability, have leaked at least one goal in six of their seven tussles at Europe's top table this term.
What's more, Diego Simeone's side have posted just eight clean sheets across their 28 La Liga outings this season thus far, a sample that includes just one when playing away from home.
While there have been some encouraging signs in each of the two sides displays in recent weeks, neither defence is that reliable and I'm therefore keen to get involved with both teams getting on the score sheet at shade below even-money.
It's also worth noting that BTTS has been a winning bet in 10 of the pair's 14 collective Champions League fixtures and that only adds to the appeal of supporting the same 28/29 (SBK) play at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
I'll also head the team card market and take the 4/5 on offer with Bet 365 for the visitors to receive over two bookings during this last-16 showdown.
Simeone's fiercely competitive side clocked up four cards in the first leg and I see no reason to oppose them covering the 3+ line here given what's at stake.
This UEFA Champions League match between Manchester United and Atletico Madrid will be played on Mar 15, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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