Atl. Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction: 21/1/2025

Atletico Madrid now competes in three major tournaments: LaLiga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey, as they do very well this season. With a strong surge in LaLiga, the team, commanded by Diego Simeone, rose to the top of the table with a seventh consecutive victory, including the critical 2-1 win over Barcelona before Christmas.

But then again, after falling more than ten points behind the Catalans, Atlético managed an astonishing comeback. They wished to go past Real Madrid by beating Osasuna at home on January 11. In the Champions League, Atlético have been equally devastating and won convincingly, 6-0 against Sparta Prague, and 3-1 over Slovan Bratislava for a run of 13 consecutive victories in all competitions. Atlético currently occupies 11th place in the Champions League standings, one point behind better-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Lille.

This season, Bayer Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, managed to pick up where they left off last season as they won both the Bundesliga and German Cup. Contrary to a Bologna team that lost some of its main players and the coach, they maintained their backbone while making constructive reinforcements. In all competitions, Leverkusen were unbeaten in nine matches at the end of 2024. Recently, the club defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League, with Mukiele scoring after an assist provided by Terrier. Later in their 2025 campaign, Leverkusen face stern tests against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Mainz, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, showing that the club can compete at the highest level.

Atlético Madrid goes into the game with almost the complete roster available for action. The club’s all-time leading scorer Antoine Griezmann will start despite speculations over his future. He has four goals and two assists to his name in this season’s Champions League action. The attacking options come along with Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth, who leads the team for goals in LaLiga with eight goals, and Argentine forward Julián Álvarez, who has scored four goals in six Champions League outings this season. Key players like Rodrigo De Paul, Robin Le Normand, and goalkeeper Jan Oblak will also be available.

Bayer Leverkusen faces some setbacks in terms of injuries. Amine Adli, Victor Boniface, and midfielder Hoffman are ruled out of action. But they will be able to rely on Florian Wirtz, who has scored five times in this Champions League campaign, their captain Granit Xhaka, and prolific striker Patrik Schick, who has nine Bundesliga goals this season. The attacking contributions of full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, both of whom have combined goals and assists in the Bundesliga, will also be important.

Prediction

At home, Atlético Madrid has been unstoppable, winning 13 of their last 18 matches across all competitions. Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, has had an inconsistent run in the recent past, managing to win three, drawing four, and losing three of their last ten games. While Atlético have been solid at home, the solidity and attacking options for Leverkusen could make this match very tight.

Prediction: Atlético Madrid 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen