Preview: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United - prediction, team news, lineups

Desperate for a positive spark to reinvigorate their season, struggling Manchester United will travel to face in-form Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday for matchday two of the Champions League's league phase.

Los Rojiblancos are eyeing a fifth win on the bounce in midweek, while the Red Devils are looking for their first in five games.

Match preview

Diego Simeone's Atleti have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, and after picking up where they left off prior to the international break, they will be confident of success on Tuesday.

Los Rojiblancos overcame 10-man Alaves 2-1 on Saturday, courtesy of a first-half opener from Alejandro Grimaldo, and a late winner from former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero, who was the man of the match when Spurs beat United in the 2025 Europa League final.

That latest victory for Simeone's side mirrored the scoreline from the Madrid derby on September 20, another triumph that saw Grimaldo set the tone with the first goal.

However, while Atletico will head into this clash on the back of a four-game winning streak, they have only come out on top in two of their last 15 matches against English teams - drawing three and losing 10 - including their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on September 9.

On the other hand, the La Liga club have only lost two of their 19 fixtures when facing English opponents in Spain, winning nine and drawing eight, most recently playing out a 1-1 stalemate with Arsenal in last season's Champions League semi-final first leg.

Meanwhile, Michael Carrick's Man United have endured a dire term to date, and it would be a surprise to see them turn it around on Tuesday.

The Red Devils were 4-0 victors over debutants Sabah in their Champions League opener, though they have failed to win any of their four outings since.

After consecutive defeats against Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion, Carrick's men were held to back-to-back 1-1 draws, including a humiliating stalemate with 10-man Tottenham, which saw the Londoners earn a deserved point at Old Trafford thanks to a 92nd-minute header from Dominic Solanke.

That dire result conjured boos from Man United fans - not for the first time in recent months - and has left supporters with little reason for optimism looking back on a four-game winless run across all competitions.

Those searching for a reason to hope against the odds in midweek could look to the Red Devils' record against Spanish sides, which has seen them lose just one of their last 11, winning seven times and drawing on three occasions.

That being said, United have not beaten Atletico Madrid in any of their previous four meetings, losing twice in the process and 2-1 on aggregate in their most recent encounter during the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16.

Atletico Madrid Champions League form:

Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):

Manchester United Champions League form:

Manchester United form (all competitions):

Team News

Atleti have a fit squad to choose from for Tuesday's clash, so expect to see former Man City star Julian Alvarez lead the line alongside Lee Kang-in, who has impressed since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

At the opposite end of the pitch, familiar opponent Cristian Romero is likely to start at centre-back with David Hancko, flanked by Alejandro Grimaldo and the versatile Marc Pubill.

As for Man United, they are lighter in defence than ideal this week, given that centre-half Matthijs De Ligt remains sidelined with a back injury, full-back options Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) picked up issues during the international break, and reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton (abdomen) is out.

In their absence, Carrick could opt for a pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire at the heart of his defence, while Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw feature either side of the duo, protecting Senne Lammens between the sticks.

Manuel Ugarte is continuing his recovery from the anterior cruciate ligament he suffered at the World Cup, though Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo should be on hand to start in the centre of the park.

Elsewhere, striker Benjamin Sesko is dealing with a lower leg injury, so see Matheus Cunha will start up top, supported by Bryan Mbeumo and talismanic captain Bruno Fernandes.

Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Pubill, Romero, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Baena; Lee, Alvarez

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha

We say: Atletico Madrid 3-1 Manchester United

Atleti are in strong form and will be confident on home turf against a struggling opponent, coming into this showdown on the back of a four-game winning streak.

Man United may have beaten Sabah 4-0 on matchday one, but they are unlikely to walk away with anything from Tuesday's clash, having failed to triumph in any of their four matches since.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.