Another edition of the Madrid derby will take place in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday with Atletico Madrid hosting Real Madrid as both sides eye a spot in the quarterfinals. Reigning champions Real Madrid won 2-1 in the first leg, but the narrow margins and the competitive nature of last week's game sets up for an intriguing conclusion to one of the round of 16's most compelling ties.

For all intents and purposes, it has been a good season for Atletico but the last week has not been terribly kind to them. They played well against Real Madrid in last week's first leg, but the opposition managed to shut them out of the game once they restored their lead. Atletico did not manage to bounce back over the weekend, going down to 10 in a 2-1 loss to Getafe and dropping to third in a competitive La Liga title race. These results are not reason to count them out on Wednesday, though – Atletico's strength this season has been their incredibly effective attack. Each of Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth have 14 goals or more this season, with Alvarez leading the pack with 22. Expect that trio to play a big role in the second leg if Atletico have a shot of advancing.  

For the visitor,s the inconsistencies of this season might finally be behind Real Madrid, who enter Wednesday's second leg in the midst of a 10-game unbeaten run. They have outscored the opposition 20 to 11 along the way, suggesting that the reigning European champions are hitting their stride at the right time. Their star-studded attack is delivering the goods, with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham each scoring 11 or more goals this season. That success came at a crucial period in the season – Real Madrid lacked depth in defense through a series of injuries, though they also might be past that now. They are starting to look and feel a bit more like the team that did the double last season and will have a big chance to prove that on Wednesday.  

 

Champions League expert picks, predictions: Real Madrid aim to hold onto one-goal lead vs. Atletico Madrid

Pardeep Cattry

How to watch and odds

• Date: Wednesday, March 12 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
• Location: Metropolitano Stadium -- Madrid, Spain
• Odds: Atletico Madrid +155; Draw +250; Real Madrid +165

Projected lineup

Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan, Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino, Alvarez, Griezmann

Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Ascensio, Rudiger, Mendy, Rodrygo, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius

Prediction

Two of the three previous meetings between these teams this season have ended in a 1-1 draw, a testament to the quality of the two sides. Another similarly competitive game likely awaits, especially so since such a scoreline favors Real Madrid, who proved last week that they can close out a tightly contested game. Pick: Atletico Madrid 1, Real Madrid 1

Author: Nanjembe Nelson