Xavi and Loïs Openda (l-r.) will lead the way for RB Leipzig when they visit Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. - © IMAGO/Roger Petzsche

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Atlético Madrid vs. RB Leipzig: UEFA Champions League team news, match stats & LIVE blog!

19.09.2024

Xavi and Loïs Openda are among the RB Leipzig gems looking to star on the continental stage after making a strong start to their Bundesliga campaign as they visit Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid in their opening UEFA Champions League fixture on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CEST).

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No longer Champions League upstarts, Leipzig are embarking on ther sixth consecutive campaign in the competition, and seventh in total. They start their 2024/25 adventure against the opponents they faced in their greatest tournament moment yet - a 2-1 quarter-final win in 2019/20. Never mind the past, though, Rose has enough reasons to be confident about the present, with Xavi, Openda and Benjamin Šeško developing a devastating attack that led Leipzig to a remarkable comeback win at long unbeaten champions Bayer Leverkusen prior to the September international break. New signing Antonio Nusa also looks ready to make an impact on the European stage if called upon, the Norwegian teenager having already scored off the bench in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup. Captain and defensive lynchpin Willi Orbán is back at head coach Marco Rose's disposal again, meanwhile, after a domestic suspension ruled him out of the goalless draw with Union Berlin on Matchday 3.

Like Leipzig, hosts Atlético are unbeaten so far this season. Diego Simeone's side won 3-0 at home to Valencia on Sunday to keep the pressure on Hansi Flick's Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Šeško's Slovenia international teammate Jan Oblak has helped them keep clean sheets in four of their five league assignments, though they have yet to face a team with the kind of firepower Leipzig possess. At the other end, a front two of Antoine Griezmann and Julián Alvarez have the difficult task of trying to get through a steely Leipzig defence only breached in the embroynic Bundesliga campaign by Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen. Experienced defensive specialist Axel Witsel, who spent four years at Borussia Dortmund before joining Atléti in 2022, is expected to start on the bench.

Watch: RB Leipzig hitting the ground running

Match stats

Leipzig beat Atléti in their only previous meeting, winning their one-legged 2019/20 Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon 2-1.
Openda scored four Champions League goals for Leipzig last season, whilst averaging 4.7 shots on goal per 90 minutes. Only Lauro Martínez (5.8, Inter Milan) and Erling Haaland (5.0, Manchester City) fired off more attempts among players with at least 500 minutes of playing time under their belts.
Xavi was also involved in four Champions League goals in 2023/24 (two of his own, plus two assists).
Leipzig are playing their seventh season of Champions League football. Die Roten Bullen have reached the knockouts on four occasions.
Of all teams to have played in at least 25 Champions League fixtures to date, Leipzig's matches have averaged more goals per game than any other club (3.52 - 162 in total).
Atléti have lost five of their last eight Champions League games against German opposition (W1, D2), most recently falling to a 4-2 defeat in the second leg of their 2023/24 quater-final tie with Dortmund, after winning 2-1 at home.

Probable line-ups

Atlético: Oblak (c) - Llorente, Le Normand, Giménez, Azpilicueta, Lino - De Paul, Koke (c), Barrios - Griezmann, Alvarez
Out: Garcés (knee)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Diego Simeone

Leipzig: Gulácsi (c) - Henrichs, Orbán, Castello, Raum - Haidara, Seiwald, Kampl, Xavi - Šeško, Openda
Out: Ouédraogo (knee), Schlager (knee)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Marco Rose

LIVE blog

Atlético

Thu, 19.09 19:00

Leipzig

Champions League
League phase, Matchday 1 League phase, Matchday 1 Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

0:57

Watch: Red Bulls set for another UCL charge

Leipzig kick off their seventh season of Champions League football with designs on emulating their run to the 2019/20 semi-finals.

Atlético team news

Pablo Barrios and Borja Garcés are unavailable to Diego Simeone. The rest of his squad, though is at his disposal, with the likes of Connor Gallagher and Julián Álvarez set to make their Champions League bows for the club.

Leipzig team news

Marco Rose will be without Assan Ouédraogo and Xaver Schlager in the middle of the park, but will have all of his key attacking lieutenants available, including Xavi Simons and Loïs Openda.

2:03

Watch: RB Leipzig 0-0 Union Berlin

Loïs Openda missed a penalty as Leipzig dropped points for the first time this season on Matchday 3 - Atletico won 3-0 at Valencia last weekend and are also unbeaten five matches into the Spanish league season.

Sørloth reunion

Alexander Sørloth scored five goals in 30 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig between 2020 and 2022. He's been at Atletico only since this summer when he joined from Villarreal.

Previous meeting

The only time these two have met in European competition was the 2019/20 quarter-final when Tyler Adams' late goal took Leipzig into the last four in Lisbon.

How do the new European competition formats work?

The UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League have all undergone a revamp for the 2024/25 season. There are more teams, more games and a new ‘Swiss’-style format. Check out the article on bundesliga.com to find out how it’s all going to work.

2:18

Xavi's on board

Leipzig go into a new European season with a familiar face back in their squad. The mesmeric Xavi agreed to one more season on loan at the Red Bull Arena from Paris Saint-Germain and the Dutch master will be one hell of an asset to the Bundesliga outfit in this Champions League campaign.

4:14

Intent signalled

Leipzig finished fourth in the Bundesliga last term, and they signalled their ambitions under Marco Rose with an impressive start to the current campaign. Just two games in, and the Red Bulls ended champions' Bayer Leverkusen's lengthy unbeaten record in domestic competition.

12:00

RB Leipzig: the lowdown

Get your pen and pad out, it's time to get some in-depth knowledge of Leipzig ahead of their big European kick-off!

Oh what a night

The sides' only previous meeting in European competition turned out to be one of the most famous in Leipzig's history. Die Roten Bullen won a quarter-final, one-off game against Atlético in the Covid-hit season of 2019/20. Tyler Adams's strike two minutes from time in Lisbon sent Julian Nagelsmann's side into the Champions League last four, where they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain.

Leipzig ready for lift off

It's season number six in a row in the UEFA Champions League for RB Leipzig and the Saxony-based side will be seeking to repeat their amazing semi-final feat of 2019/20 when they get their latest tournament tilt underway in the Spanish capital.

Welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of RB Leipzig's opening UEFA Champions League game of the 2024/25 league phase away at Atlético Madrid of Spain.