Leicester City head to the Spanish capital for the first leg of their quarter-final tie aiming to keep alive their latest fairytale adventure, which has seen them become the first Champions League debutants to reach the last eight since 2013.
Standing in their way is an Atletico Madrid side that have become specialists in this competition in recent years, reaching two of the last three finals and looking good value of late to improve on that record further.
Atletico Madrid
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A Copa del Rey crown and La Liga title already in the bag during his first six years at the Vicente Calderon, Atleti legend Diego Simeone now has his eyes on a first European Cup after twice falling one step short.
Real Madrid have proved to be Atletico's nemesis in more ways than one, winning on penalties in Milan last season and coming out on top in dramatic, late fashion 24 months prior at the Estadio da Luz in Benfica.
Yet if proof was needed of just how far Simeone has taken this club in his time in charge, one stat in particular stands out. The Rojiblancos have reached this stage of UEFA's showpiece competition four times in a row under the Argentine, compared to just once in the two decades prior.
The capital club's league form may have stuttered prior to the mid-season break in Spain, losing four times in the space of seven games to all but concede another charge for the title, but positive results on the continent have always remained constant.
Six victories from eight games in the 2016-17 instalment of the Champions League, which represents more wins than any other side, has been enough to see them top Group D ahead of Bayern Munich and cruise past Bayer Leverkusen in the first knockout round.
It is Atletico's home form in particular that has turned them into one of the most feared forces in Europe, winning 16 of their last 21 matches at their fortress home - soon to be demolished after pushing through with plans to move to Wanda Metropolitan next term - and losing just one of those.
Furthermore, Atleti are unbeaten in knockout-stage fixtures under their fiery boss, with 15 clean sheets in the last 17 here perhaps explaining why they are such a tough nut to crack. Not only are they the best defensive side in the Spanish top flight, they are also arguably the best at keeping out opposition attackers on the planet.
All this paints a very bleak picture from a Leicester perspective, knowing that they not only come up against a team with proven European pedigree in the past four years but also a team that have also got their act together domestically - one defeat in 16 La Liga games seeing them move back above Sevilla into third place.
A 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at the weekend did more to temporarily derail their city rivals' title charge than spring their own back into life, keeping them 10 points adrift at the summit, but that merely gives Simeone all the more incentive to now prioritise Europe and finally get his side over the line in a competition that has proved kind yet so cruel in the past few years.
Recent form in Champions League: WWWLWD
Recent form (all competitions): WDWWWD
Leicester City
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The club's controversial decision to part company with popular manager Claudio Ranieri, just 16 days after publicly backing him, now seems like a long time ago as far as English champions Leicester are concerned.
In came Craig Shakespeare, the man who has proved to be a steady pair of hands behind the scenes under both Ranieri and predecessor Nigel Pearson, and it is fair to say that the gamble to bring in some fresh ideas has proved to be a masterstroke by the Foxes' owners.
For "fresh ideas", read revert back to the norm. Shakespeare has got City playing much like the title-winning side of last term, the team that pulled off one of football's greatest ever achievements in going all the way in the Premier League against 5,000-1 odds, with confidence beginning to flow once again.
Shakespeare made the transition from right-hand man to manager look simple, winning five from five in the top flight prior to Sunday's defeat to Everton to ease his side's growing relegation worries and put them on course for an unlikely top-half finish.
A 4-2 reverse at Goodison Park at the weekend may have shown signs of Leicester's frailties of old coming back to the surface, with Romelu Lukaku in particular bullying their backline at times, but Shakespeare made five changes to his starting lineup - he had never previously made more than two at a time - to ensure that fatigue is not an issue against Atletico.
Shakespeare's magic has not only paid off domestically but also in Europe, as he masterminded a 2-0 second-leg win over Sevilla in the previous round - three weeks on from the 2-1 reverse in the opening 90-minute tussle - to ensure that Leicester became the eighth side from England to make it this far.
Many have pointed out the similarities to another English side in Chelsea, who memorably went all the way and won the competition in 2012 after replacing boss Andre Villas-Boas with Roberto Di Matteo, but even making it this far is the stuff of dreams for those Leicester supporters planning their latest trip abroad.
City may have been accused of being found out in the Premier League in the opening two-thirds of the season, perhaps explaining their troubles to adapt to the tag of champions, but teams on the continent are clearly still yet to fully learn and adapt.
The Midlands club have lost just two of their eight games in this maiden Champions League voyage - one of those being a dead-rubber group-stage clash with Porto - and if the past year-and-a-half is anything to go by then you would not rule out one more major shock.
Recent form in Champions League: WDWLLW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWL
Team News
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Leicester have been dealt a big blow in the build-up to the match with the news that influential skipper Wes Morgan, so important in their run to the last eight, will almost certainly miss out with a back injury.
Yohan Benalouane will therefore continue to partner Robert Huth, aiming to improve on a shaky performance produced at Goodison Park on Sunday when being left exposed a number of times.
Danny Simpson, Christian Fuchs, Wilfred Ndidi and Riyad Mahrez were among those to be rested from the off in that defeat on Merseyside last time out, all of whom are expected to now be restored to the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Stand-in boss Shakespeare still has a decision to make over who will partner striker Jamie Vardy - one of four players a yellow card away from an automatic suspension - with Islam Slimani and Shinji Okazaki in contention.
In terms of the hosts, Simeone could well go with the same XI that held Real to a 1-1 draw, with 14-goal forward Kevin Gameiro still doubtful due to the recurrence of an injury sustained in training last week.
Atletico have Filipe Luis and Gabi back in their ranks after sitting out their last European outing through suspension, while up top there are no concerns over the form and fitness of Antoine Griezmann, whose name continues to be linked with a number of sides.
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Juanfran, Godin, Savic, Filipe Luis; Carrasco, Saul Niguez, Gabi, Koke; Griezmann, Torres
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Simpson, Benalouane, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Ndidi, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy
Head To Head
Leicester and Atletico are not exactly strangers, having met in a European tie on four previous occasions - the first round of the 1961-62 Cup Winners' Cup and then in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup.
Exactly 25% of the Foxes' European games - four out of 16 - have therefore taken place against this week's opponents, but it is the Spanish side who have had bragging rights on both previous occasions by progressing through.
Atletico have faced off against English opposition 23 times in European competition, losing just five of those fixtures, while City have won one of their six against teams from Spain - last month's 2-0 triumph over Sevilla at the King Power Stadium.
We say: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Leicester City
Griezmann arguably said it best when probed about this upcoming fixture, pointing out that Leicester are the most similar side to Atletico left in the competition. The two-time Champions League finalists have a knack of getting the job done and nothing more, keeping opponents out and grinding out the win, but will they meet their match in Leicester over these two legs? The Rojiblancos are rightly favourites, though City showed in the last-16 against Sevilla - then third in La Liga - that they quite simply cannot be written off.
Daniel Lewis
