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RB Leipzig vs Atletico, Champions League preview: Prediction, team news, TV, time, live stream, h2h, odds

Atletico Madrid have overcome the shock of two players testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of their trip to the Champions League 'Final Eight' and are fully focused on Thursday's quarter-final with RB Leipzig.

Atletico were forced to travel to Lisbon for the mini-tournament a day later than planned after forward Angel Correa and defender Sime Vrsjalko tested positive for the virus.

The pair have been ordered to isolate at home and will undergo further tests today to determine whether they can join the squad should Atleti reach the semi-finals.

The game will go ahead without them and both clubs will be hoping to reach the last four in this one-legged knockout tie.

Atletico knocked out the holders Liverpool in a thrilling 4-2 aggregate victory while the German outfit showed their pedigree by beating Tottenham in both legs, with a 4-0 aggregate victory overall.

Date, time and venue

RB Leipzig vs Atletico Madrid is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off on Thursday, August 13, 2020.

The match will be played behind closed doors at the Estadio Jose Alvalade with no fans present due to guidelines regarding coronavirus.

How to watch

TV channel: The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage starting from 7pm.

Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app.

Team news

Unlike the last-16 knockout round, RB Leipzig will be not be able to call on top goalscorer Timo Werner after he opted to join Chelsea before the end of the campaign.

That means Julian Nagelsmann is likely to start with Yussuf Poulsen and Patrik Schick as his two strikers in a 3-5-2 setup as Leipzig prepare for their first competitive match in five weeks.

Poulsen recently recovered from an ankle injury and is back in training, but Marcel Sabitzer (knee) is a doubt for the clash. Ibrahima Konate is out after undergoing hip surgery, but Marcel Halstenberg could return.

Poulsen is likely to return after his recent injury Photo: Jan Woitas/Pool via Getty Images
Poulsen is likely to return after his recent injury Photo: Jan Woitas/Pool via Getty Images

There was a scare for Atletico this week following two positive test results for Covid-19 among the group that was traveling to Lisbon. There were concerns that an outbreak within the club could have affected the team's participation in the tournament in Portugal, but new tests showed that only Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko were infected and the squad could travel to Lisbon.

Vrsaljko wasn't even going to play because he is nursing an injury, while Correa isn't among Atletico's top stars even though he led the team in assists this season.

Prediction: RB Leipzig 0-1 Atletico Madrid

Both sides have been in superb form since the restart and in the Champions League could be rated with an outside chance of winning the competition.

But under Simeone, the Rojiblancos have built a reputation for having a sturdy backline with a tremendous work rate.

A Leizpig side without Werner may struggle to breach down the LaLiga side's stubborn defence and this could be settled by a single goal.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

Wednesday night's match will be the first-ever competitive meeting between these two clubs.

Betting odds and tips

  • RB Leipzig to reach semi-final: 11/8

  • Atletico to reach semi-final: 5/7

  • Under 2.5 goals: 5/8

  • Atletico to win 1-0: 13/2

Odds courtesy of Betfair Exchange. Click here to find out more.

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