Man United vs Atletico Madrid news: Quarter-final spot and £9m on the line at Old Trafford
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) celebrates scoring his hat trick goal and his sides third goal of the game during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Both Man United and Atletico Madrid have endured a disappointing season, with their last remaining hope of winning a trophy being the Champions League.
The Red Devils are targeting their third quarter-final appearance in the Champions League since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, if the first leg was anything to go by, then United could be in for yet another tricky night against Atletico.
When the two sides met last February, it was the Spaniards who dominated proceedings, only to concede a late equaliser from Man United's Anthony Elanga.
Ralf Rangnick will be hoping late equalisers aren't necessary when his side welcome the Spanish champions for the culmination of their round-of-16 tie.
Progression to the quarter-final will earn the club £8.9million in prize money alone. More importantly, reaching the last eight could give the club some more credibility on the European stage - something they lost over the last few seasons.
When: Tuesday, March 15, 20:00 GMT
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
Where to watch: BT Sport
Who is the ref for Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid
Slovenia's Slavko Vincic will take charge of proceedings at Old Trafford.
The 42-year-old has refereed matches involving the two clubs before, overseeing Man United's 2-2 draw in Atalanta before working in Madrid during their 1-0 defeat to AC Milan.
Season stats 2021/22: Champions League matches (8), yellow cards (36), red cards (3), penalties (1)
Recent form
For the first time this season, Atletico Madrid are beginning to show glimpses of their old ruthless selves.
Diego Simeone's side have won four straight games in the league and are unbeaten in five games across all competitions.
Their last three matches have seen them beat Celta Vigo, Real Betis and Cadiz as they jumped back into the top four.
While it's too late for them to mount a late title challenge, Atletico will undoubtedly look to capitalise on their newly found momentum in the Champions League.
Manchester United, in contrast, are a mix bag like always. The Red Devils followed up their 4-1 derby day defeat with a 3-2 victory over Tottenham last weekend.
Consistency has been a prevalent issue for Ralf Rangnick's men this season, with the club failing to win more than two successive games since the campaign began.
The one positive for United is the fact they're unbeaten in four straight games at Old Trafford.
Last time out
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Manchester United (Champions League - February 23, 2022)
Joao Felix gave the hosts an early lead during the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
The Portuguese international scored in the seventh minute as the hosts capitalised on a slow Man United start.
Somehow, the Red Devils avoided conceding more goals before finding a late equaliser through Elanga.
Managers' thoughts
Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick on the importance of the first goal: "It's very important [not to concede first]. Even more so against a team like Atletico, who don't mind the other team having the ball. In their last four or five games, they had less than 50 per cent possession. We are aware of that, we want to try not to concede at all if possible, but it will be important to score the first goal ourselves."
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone on how he things the match will pan out: "It will be a dynamic game, a game where there will be alternate moments. It will be the classic type of match you expect in a game like this, the vertigo you suffer sometimes when a team plays at home.
"I think we will have the opportunity to hit on the counter, to capitalise on any errors they make. I'm sure we'll find solutions and be able to resolve things."
Predicted Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid teams
There's good news for Rangnick on the injury front as Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay could all come back into the fold.
Things aren't as positive for Simeone who will be without Yannick Carrasco (suspension), Matheus Cunha, Daniel Wass, Sime Vrsaljko and Thomas Lemar (injuries).
As things stand, Mario Hermoso, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Jose Gimenez have all been named in the squad, but the trio remain injury doubts.
Possible Manchester United starting line-up: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles, Fred, McTominay, Sancho, Fernandes, Pogba, Ronaldo
Possible Atletico Madrid starting line-up: Oblak, Savic, Felipe, Reinildo, Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Herrera, Lodi, Felix, Correa
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid prediction
While both these sides have endured disappointing campaigns, their Champions League clash will certainly make for enthralling viewing.
Atletico will fancy their chances of scoring at Old Trafford - let's face it, who hasn't. However, United are capable causing problems too and if Cristiano Ronaldo is in his usual ruthless form, there's no reason why the Red Devils couldn't pull it off.
With that in mind, we're backing United to win 2-1 on the night and progress to the quarter-final.
