Atletico Madrid will attempt to maintain their unbeaten record in the 2023-24 Champions League when they travel to the Netherlands for a tricky meeting with Dutch champions Feyenoord.
While the Spanish side are currently sitting top of Group E, the hosts will go into matchday five in third position after picking up six points from their four matches.
Match preview
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Feyenoord have experienced a mixed run of results in their first Champions League group-stage appearance since 2017-18, with their four matches split evenly between victories and defeats.
The Eredivisie champions have ultimately enjoyed home comforts, beating Celtic and Lazio in front of their own supporters in Rotterdam, while losing both of their away trips, including a 3-2 defeat to Atletico at the beginning of October.
In their most recent European excursion on matchday four, Arne Slot's side were edged out by Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico - a result that represented a ninth consecutive away defeat in the Champions League (including qualifying).
The 1-0 loss allowed Lazio to move above Feyenoord into second place, leaving the Dutch side one point adrift of the top two and knowing that a defeat on Tuesday could end their last-16 hopes if Lazio beat Celtic in the group's other fixture.
Feyenoord will also be fully aware that a win in midweek will move them above their opponents, and there is every reason for them to be confident after winning each of their last seven competitive home games.
The hosts will certainly be in a positive mood following Saturday's 4-2 victory over Excelsior, where Santiago Gimenez netted a hat-trick to take his Eredivisie tally for 2023 to 28 goals – the most that any player has scored in the Dutch top flight since Luis Suarez netted 30 times with Ajax in 2009.
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Atletico head into matchday five in pole position in Group E after winning both of their home games and drawing their two away encounters against Lazio and Celtic.
Although they had to be content with a 2-2 scoreline on their trip to Glasgow last month, they were far less courteous in the reverse fixture with Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata netting braces in a dominant 6-0 win over 10-man Celtic to take Atletico's tally to eight points, securing at least a berth in the Europa League knockout rounds.
While they are already guaranteed European football for the second half of the campaign, Diego Simeone's side will be fully focused on progressing to the Champions League last 16 for the fifth time in six seasons – their only group-stage exit in that period took place last term.
The Spanish outfit can book their spot in the knockout rounds with a game to spare if they claim all three points on Tuesday, however, that may be easier said than done after failing to win any of their previous six away matches in the Champions League since beating Manchester United 1-0 in March 2022.
Atleti will at least be confident about their chances of avoiding defeat, having lost just one of their last 13 competitive matches (W10, D2).
They have also emerged victorious on each of their last three outings after Griezmann scored his ninth La Liga goal of the season to guide his team to a narrow 1-0 victory against Mallorca on Saturday, representing Atletico's 25th league win of 2023 – only Manchester City (26) have recorded more this year in Europe's top five leagues.
Team News
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Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh is set to be absent for the second game running after he sustained an injury while on international duty with Iran.
Bart Nieuwkoop, who picked up a hamstring injury on Saturday, is expected to miss Tuesday's encounter, which could open up a place in the backline for 31-year-old defender Gernot Trauner.
The in-form Gimenez will be looking to continue his fine form after scoring 18 goals in 16 competitive appearances this season, including a brace in the 3-1 win over Lazio in Feyenoord's third group game.
Meanwhile, the visitors are still without the services of Thomas Lemar and Vitolo due to Achilles and knee injuries respectively.
World Cup winner Rodrigo de Paul will make his third start of the group stage after he missed the 6-0 win over Celtic through suspension.
Jose Maria Gimenez, Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo Riquelme dropped down to the bench on Saturday, but the trio could be brought back into the starting lineup for the midweek away trip.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Bijlow; Geertruida, Trauner, Hancko, Hartman; Wieffer, Timber; Paixao, Stengs, Ivanusec; Gimenez
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Gimenez, Witsel, Hermoso; Molina, De Paul, Koke, Riquelme; Correa, Griezmann; Morata
We say: Feyenoord 2-2 Atletico Madrid
Having won their last seven home matches, Feyenoord may fancy their chances of beating their Spanish opponents in Tuesday's Champions League clash.
However, Atleti have only lost two of their 22 competitive games this season and after drawing their previous two away group fixtures, we think that they will take another point from their midweek trip to the Netherlands.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
