Premier League heavyweight Manchester United travels to Madrid to pick him up on Atletico Madrid champion in charge of the La Liga in a Champions last 16 match Wednesday.
United veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, in in particular, he will be happy to return to the Spanish capital face Athletic once again.
Ronaldo scored 25 goals against Athletic in his career. They include extra time goal in 2014 and one in the throw-out two years later, when the then Real Madrid player Ronaldo helped beat Atletico in Champions League Finals.
The Red Devils have enjoyed mixed fortunes in the meantime manager Ralf Rangnick after the expulsion of Ole Gunnar Solskjar, getting 25 points from 12 games to bring United from sixth to fourth.
However, a 4-2 weekend win in Leeds – in which one it survived host reaction – should boost morale for the Madrid game.
“I hope so experience want also give us additional energy for the Champions League and upcoming games in the Premier League, “Rangnick said.
He has also been plagued by reports on the challenges coaching United and it is significant that he referred to “unity” on display in on Sunday win.
Said the result it was there best reply that could give to some articles last week that there has been some interruption in the changing room “.
The Champions could also be Rangnick chan’s only even if difficult, a win a trophy this season. But a sign of the 63-year-the highest level of the old coaching the inexperience is that the game at Atletico is the first time he managed to team in the elimination of Champions phase from his Schalke side was beaten in the semifinals in 2011 – from Alex Ferguson’s United.
Atletico are led by the longest-lived coach residue in Champions League this season. But fresh from marking a decade in load in December, Atletico resist one of his most turbulent moments under Diego Simeone. The team it’s inconsistent – a lot like United – and Simeone is trying the heat.
There was an encouraging 3-0 win at Osasuna in the Spanish league but Atletico had lost four of his last six games in everyone competitions before Saturday, including eliminations from the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey.
Like United in England, Atletico are currently chasing the fourth e final Champions qualification place in Spain.
It is likely that Simeone face Man United without Daniel Wass and Matheus Cunha why of injuries, while Thomas Lemar remained in isolation with the coronavirus.
Ajax, the high altitude, face Benfica
The other on Wednesday game brings together former champions Benfica and Ajax in Lisbon where impressive tournament look for rookie Sebastien Haller more goals later already network 10 in Ajax is perfect group phase with six wins.
“Ten goals are fine. I would have declared you crazy if you had told me in advance that I could score so many goals, ”Haller told the club website.
“It’s a fantastic number. But it is also the result of the possibilities I have, thanks to the good game of the team. I could also have scored more targets.”
Dutch leaders are equally dominant nationwide, winning the last Seven matches to establish a five-point lead in top of the Eredivisie.
Benfica, on the other hand, he reached the last 16 helping to eliminate Barcelona with a win and draw against the five-time European champions. But his confidence is not that high now after winning alone twice in five games in everyone competitions.
The latest the setback was a 2-2 draw against Boavista, threatened by relegation in The Portuguese league after leading 2-0 until the 74th minute.
The result it was another blow for the Portuguese power which is only third in the league classification, behind rivals of Sporting Lisbon and the leader Porto.
It’s a collapse supervised by Nelson Verissimo, the “B” team coach who took over after Jorge Jesus was eventually fired of last year despite the results against Barcelona.
