Celtic vs Atletico Madrid Prediction and Match Preview
Atletico Madrid aims to maintain their top position in Group E as they face Celtic in round 3 at Celtic Park.
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Los Rojiblancos have been delivering exceptional performances across all competitions this season and are likely riding high on confidence following their 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo.
Antoine Griezmann, who scored a hat-trick over the weekend, is expected to pose a significant challenge for the opposing defense.
Rodrigo de Paul is widely anticipated to rejoin the starting lineup, while Jose Gimenez, Memphis Depay, Thomas Lemar, and Reinildo Mandava remain in the recovery phase.
On the flip side, the Hoops have struggled to compete at this level, having suffered losses to both Feyenoord and Lazio in their initial two group matches.
Given their shaky defense, we see significant value in betting on the capital club. Furthermore, both Odin Thiago Holm and Gustaf Lagerbielke are available again after serving suspensions.
Team News:
Celtic will have Gustaf Lagerbielke back in action after he was absent in the defeat to Lazio due to his red card against Feyenoord. The central defender wasn’t part of the squad for their recent victory over Hearts, but he should be in good spirits after scoring his first international goal for Sweden last week.
Maik Nawrocki is likely to remain sidelined with a muscle issue, although he’s not too far from making a return. Another defender, Stephen Welsh, is also unavailable.
In the attacking department, both Marco Tilio and Liel Abada will be unavailable. Tilio is still waiting to make his debut after joining from Melbourne City.
On the other side, Atletico is grappling with a defensive crisis. Stefan Savic missed the Celta win due to illness, and he remains a doubt for the upcoming match. With Jose Maria Gimenez and Reinildo also out, Diego Simeone was relieved to welcome Caglar Soyuncu back to the squad over the weekend after his over a month-long absence.
However, Samuel Lino is expected to miss out due to a knee problem, joining the injured duo of Memphis Depay and Thomas Lemar on the sidelines.
