Champions League - Atletico Madrid 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Battling for Advancement, Clash of Two Generations of Characteristic Coaches
In the seventh round of the Champions League group stage, both Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen still have control over their fate in terms of advancing or securing a spot in the knockout stage playoffs. The match between these two teams is also a highlight due to the confrontation between their respective managers, Diego Simeone and Xabi Alonso.
Atletico Madrid recently lost to a relegation-threatened team in La Liga, dropping from the top spot. They must continue to fight for advancement in the Champions League, where they currently stand with 12 points from four wins and two losses in six matches, ranking eleventh. They trail Lille, who are eighth, by one point. In their last two matches, Atletico will host Bayer Leverkusen and visit Red Bull Salzburg.
To directly advance to the knockout stage, Atletico needs to win both of their remaining matches. Their final match against Salzburg, who are on the brink of elimination, should not be too difficult to win. Therefore, their home match against strong opponents Bayer Leverkusen this round is the most critical.
Bayer Leverkusen currently sits second in the Bundesliga after 18 rounds with 41 points, trailing leaders Bayern Munich by four points. While they still have a chance at defending their title, it remains to be seen if they can achieve it. This is Xabi Alonso's first time participating in the Champions League as a coach, and his record so far has been impressive, with four wins, one draw, and one loss, accumulating 13 points and ranking fourth. To secure a direct spot in the top eight, they need to win at least one of their last two matches. This round, they face tough opponents Atletico Madrid away, and in the final round, they host Sparta Prague at home.
Sparta Prague currently has only four points from one win, one draw, and four losses in six matches, ranking twenty-eighth. Their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage or securing a playoff spot are slim.
Similarly, while Bayer Leverkusen should not find it too difficult to win their final match, their away match against Atletico Madrid this round is uncertain.
The 54-year-old Diego Simeone is undoubtedly a skilled coach with distinctive characteristics and a strong personality, though he is not without controversy.
When Simeone arrived at Atletico in late 2011, Pep Guardiola was coaching Barcelona with Lionel Messi at the peak of his powers, while Jose Mourinho was leading Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo during their resurgence. Back then, La Liga was long dominated by the "El Clasico" duo of Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Atletico not even considered a significant disruptor. They won the Europa League title in the 2009-10 season but had been struggling domestically for many years; their last triumph was the double of La Liga and Copa del Rey in the 1995-96 season.
In the 2012-13 season, Simeone led Atletico to win the Copa del Rey, and in the 2013-14 season, they won La Liga. This achievement was remarkable, considering that Messi and Ronaldo were at their peak, and Guardiola and Mourinho were at the helm of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Simeone managed to outperform both giants and win La Liga!
In the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons, Simeone's Atletico reached the Champions League final twice, facing Real Madrid both times, but unfortunately lost on both occasions. Perhaps they were lacking in luck, or perhaps there were other factors at play. If Atletico had won those two finals, what would have happened? It's possible that Atletico could have started a dynasty, and Simeone could have become a world-class coach surpassing Mourinho and Guardiola.
Xabi Alonso, 11 years younger than Simeone, may not have as distinct a personality, but he is equally capable. In the 2023-24 season, he led Bayer Leverkusen to an undefeated season, winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, marking the club's first-ever top-flight league title in over a century, thus writing history! They only lost one match across all competitions that season, a 0-3 defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League final, which prevented them from achieving the "small treble," but this does not overshadow their achievements.
In their last ten matches across all competitions, Atletico Madrid has won nine and lost one, with their only loss being a 0-1 defeat to Leganes in the previous round of La Liga.
Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, has won all ten of their recent matches across all competitions.
In their last ten encounters, the two teams have three wins, four draws, and two losses each, with eleven goals scored and conceded apiece, making it an even split.
This match is truly evenly matched, with Atletico Madrid, playing at home, slightly favored.