Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
Atletico Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool in their first Champions League match of the season.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side will host Manchester United at the Metropolitano Stadium next month.
Michael Carrick will keep an eye on United’s upcoming opponents in the Champions League, with the Reds’ European campaign getting underway on Thursday night against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
After watching Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield, here are five things we learned about our future Spanish opponents.
Atletico Madrid at Anfield
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
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Marco Llorente is one to watch
Atletico Madrid’s Marco Llorente played as a wing-back as he got involved in the action up and down the pitch.
The highlight of his performance came in the 17th minute when the Spaniard made it 1-0 in Atletico Madrid’s favour.
Llorente cut in from the left flank and latched on to a pass from Julian Alvarez after getting in behind Liverpool’s defence.
Luke Shaw should watch this and try to ensure that Llorente doesn’t do the same when United travel to the Metropolitano.
It was Llorente’s fifth goal against Liverpool, which suggests he likes scoring against Premier League clubs.
Julian Alvarez returns to line-up with an assist
After a summer that saw Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez strongly linked with moves to Arsenal and Barcelona, Diego Simeone had only given his compatriot two substitute cameos in La Liga before tonight’s match at Anfield.
Alvarez got his first start of the season, which means he will more than likely lead the line against United on 13 October, 2026.
The former Man City striker couldn’t get his name on the scoresheet, but he did set Llorente up for the opening goal.
Atletico Madrid’s defence can be got at
In the first half, Atletico Madrid impressed with their defenders happy to play out from the back.
Their passing was slick as they passed through Liverpool’s defence, but the game changed after Andoni Iraola’s side equalised before the break.
This was a sign for Liverpool that with persistent attacking, they could find a way through Atletico Madrid’s defence.
Although Atletico Madrid defended in numbers throughout the match, a shot from distance from MacAllister proved to be the match winner in the 50th minute.
United should see it as a positive that Atletico – once known as a great side defensively – can be got at.
⚡️ KEY TAKEAWAYS
Atletico Madrid suffer a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield
Liverpool came from behind to win
Manchester United take on Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in October
Jonathan David makes Atletico Madrid
Canadian international Jonathan David came off the bench in the latter stages of the match to make his debut for Atlético Madrid.
The 26-year-old was previously linked with a move to United, so he will be eager to prove himself when he faces Michael Carrick’s side next month.
David didn’t have any impact on the game. We hope it will be the same story when he takes on United.