Atletico Madrid vs Dortmund Prediction 10 April 2024

It would probably not be an exaggeration to say that both teams were lucky with the draw. Atlético and Borussia ended up in the easier part of the bracket, so the winner of this pair has a good chance of making it to the Champions League final. The first match will take place on April 10 at the "Civitas Metropolitano", where the Madrid team will rightly be the favorites.

After the disgrace of last season, when the "mattress makers" finished last in their group, the team has made amends. This time they finished first in their quartet without a single loss. However, in the round of 16, Diego Simeone's charges were on the verge of elimination. They lost to Inter in Milan without a chance, miraculously conceding only one goal. But Atlético at home and Atlético away are two different teams. At home, the Madrid team outperformed their opponent in all aspects and snatched victory in the penalty shootout. And since there's nothing left for the "Indians" in La Liga, there's no doubt they will throw all their efforts into the Champions League. Moreover, the players had a chance to rest, as there was no round in Spain last weekend.

Unlike the previous season, Borussia is not fighting for the championship in Germany, so they will also focus on the European cup. The Dortmund team has already performed one miracle by finishing first in the "group of death" with PSG, Milan, and Newcastle. So why not aim for a second one? Nuri Sahin joined Edin Terzic's coaching staff this winter, and his influence has already become noticeable. The "Bumblebees" have started playing more interestingly and had no major problems dealing with a vibrant PSV in the round of 16. They also recently beat Bayern Munich in Munich for the first time in ten years. The black-and-yellows' winning streak ended last weekend in a match against Stuttgart, but the defeat was not reflective of their performance.

Probable line-ups:

Atlético: Oblak – Giménez, Witsel, Mandava – Lino, Llorente, Koke, De Paul, Molina – Griezmann, Morata

Borussia: Kobel – Matsen, Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Ryerson – Dahoud, Sabitzer – Adeyemi, Brandt, Sancho – Füllkrug

The hosts will definitely be without Depay in the upcoming match. This is a significant loss since it was the Dutchman who scored the lifesaving goal against Inter at the previous stage. The guests will be unable to count on Bensebaini – not exactly a key player. But Malen, one of the leaders of the "Bumblebees'" attack, is also in doubt.