Atletico Madrid VS Manchester United

Atletico Madrid's dominant home record in Champions League play makes this a must-win fixture for the Spanish side. Currently second in La Liga with a total squad value of 490 million euros, they suffered a narrow 1-2 away defeat to Liverpool in their opening Champions League match, leaving them 25th in the league phase with zero points. They have to go all out to grab maximum points on home soil to escape the elimination zone. The side has reeled off four consecutive wins in recent La Liga rounds, and across the last 11 Champions League home matches spanning two seasons, they have secured 9 victories, averaging 2 goals scored and only 0.5 conceded per game to show their overwhelming control on both ends of the pitch. As for Manchester United, the Premier League side sits 13th in their domestic league with a squad value of 580 million euros. They cruised to a 4-0 home win over Sabah in their first Champions League tie, taking 3 points to rank 4th in the league phase. However, their domestic form is deeply worrying: they have earned only 6 points from the first 6 Premier League matches, marking their worst top-flight start in 40 years. They have not won any of their last 4 domestic fixtures, with severe lack of stability across both attack and defense.