Today, an important match of the second round of the Champions League will take place in the Spanish capital, where Atlético Madrid hosts Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt. The game will be played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium and will start at 21:00 local time.
Diego Simeone’s side enters the match on the back of a confident 5-2 victory over Real Madrid, which has notably boosted team morale. However, preparations have been complicated by injuries. This morning, it was revealed that striker Alexander Sørloth will miss the game due to an injury sustained in the recent derby. He joins the already sidelined José María Giménez, Johnny Cardoso, and Thiago Almada.
In the tournament’s opening round, Atlético lost 2-3 to Liverpool, so a victory today is crucial for the Spanish team to maintain realistic chances of progressing directly to the playoffs. Any dropped points could complicate their fight to advance from the group.
Frankfurt arrives in Madrid as group leaders after their 5-1 rout of Galatasaray in the first match. Head coach Dino Toppmöller will have to cope without Kristensen and Ngankam, who are still recovering from injuries.
More than 3,500 fans have traveled to Spain to support the German team. The atmosphere in the stands is expected to be intense, and the support from the fans should give the visitors extra motivation.
The main referee for the match is Slavko Vinčić from Slovenia, with fellow countryman Alen Borošak overseeing the video assistant referee system.
The match promises to be intense and exciting. Fans of both teams, as well as all of footballing Europe, will be watching closely. In the coming hours, it will become clear who will take a step forward in the race to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
