At 3:00 AM China Time on October 24, in the third round of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, La Liga team Atlético Madrid will host Ligue 1 team Lille. Lille pulled off a surprise 1-0 win against reigning champions Real Madrid in the previous round of the Champions League, making them a formidable opponent. As they travel to Spain to face another Madrid team, whether Lille can pull off another upset is one of the highlights of this match.
In the first two rounds of the Champions League, both Atlético Madrid and Lille have recorded 1 win and 1 loss, earning 3 points each. Atlético Madrid won their first match 2-1 against RB Leipzig and suffered a 0-4 defeat to Benfica in the second round, which was their first loss of the season. However, Atlético Madrid remains unbeaten in the Spanish La Liga, currently sitting in third place with 5 wins and 5 draws (20 points), and they are the team with the fewest goals conceded on average in the league. On the other hand, Lille lost their first Champions League match 0-2 to Sporting CP but surprised everyone by defeating Real Madrid 1-0 in the second round. In the Ligue 1, Lille has 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, accumulating 14 points and ranking fourth in the league table.
Since entering October, Atlético Madrid has played 3 matches: a 0-4 defeat to Benfica (Champions League), a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad (La Liga), and a 3-1 comeback win against Leganés (La Liga). So far this season, Atlético Madrid has played 6 home games, winning 4 and drawing 2, maintaining an unbeaten home record, and keeping a clean sheet in half of those matches. However, Atlético Madrid has faced some new injuries, particularly in the central and defensive areas. In the match where Atlético Madrid reversed the score against Leganés, Barrios suffered a minor right leg strain and has started physical therapy, while Lenglet has a sprain in the medial collateral ligament of his left knee and the deltoid ligament of his left ankle, and he has also received treatment, though his return date is uncertain.
Norwegian forward Søren Radek Knauff has gradually regained his form. In the October UEFA Nations League matches, Knauff scored in both games for Norway. Returning to the club, Knauff scored twice in Atlético Madrid’s match against Leganés. Additionally, Griezmann and Álvarez have been directly involved in scoring in recent matches, demonstrating good form. Regarding Lille, Atlético Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone said at the pre-match press conference, “Lille is a very competitive team. They recently beat Real Madrid. Under their coach, they play attractive and brave football.”
Lille’s recent performance and form are commendable, with 3 wins and 2 draws in their last 5 matches. During this period, they drew 3-3 with Strasbourg (Ligue 1), defeated Le Havre 3-0 (Ligue 1), beat Real Madrid 1-0 (Champions League), won 2-1 against Toulouse (Ligue 1), and drew 0-0 with Monaco (Ligue 1). Lille is a team with significant differences between their home and away performances, having won 5 and drawn 1 out of 7 home games, while only achieving 2 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses in away games.
Lille has a severe injury crisis, with players such as Thiago Santos, Etinge Mbappé, and Harazim all sidelined due to injuries. Fortunately, midfielder Gomes, who missed the match against Real Madrid due to a red card suspension, will return for this round.
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