Atlético vs Bayern lineups: Kompany out again
Atlético Madrid host Bayern Munich in the Champions League Tuesday with Vincent Kompany still out and both lineups confirmed before kickoff.
Why Atlético vs Bayern is trending
Atlético vs Bayern kicks off at 21:00 CET on Tuesday at the Metropolitano, which the BBC lists as a 20:00 kickoff in the UK, and both clubs have confirmed their lineups for the Champions League meeting. Bayern Munich arrive off two straight draws in Europe, while Atlético are playing some of their best football of the season domestically.
What's known right now is the team news. Diego Simeone is starting Oblak in goal behind a back line of Pubill, Romero, Hancko and Grimaldo, with Simeone, Llorente, Barrios and Baena across midfield and Alvarez paired with Sorloth up top. Bayern countered with Neuer in goal, Kimmich and Bischof holding the middle, and Harry Kane leading the attack. Assistant coach Aaron Danks is running the Bayern bench again, with Vincent Kompany still not back on the touchline.
What's not known yet is how the match itself goes, since kickoff hadn't happened as of this writing. This piece covers the build-up, who's playing, who's missing, and where both clubs stand heading in. The result is its own story once the final whistle blows.
Atlético vs Bayern is one of eight Champions League matches on Tuesday's slate. Other 20:00 kickoffs included Barcelona against Aston Villa, Bodø/Glimt against Lille, Feyenoord against Inter Milan, LASK against Slovan Bratislava, Manchester United against Roma, and Villarreal against Paris Saint-Germain. Earlier in the day, Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0 and Sporting CP beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0.
The confirmed lineups
Atlético Madrid go with Oblak in net, a back four of Pubill, Romero, Hancko and Grimaldo, a midfield of Simeone, Llorente, Barrios and Baena, and Alvarez paired with Sorloth up front.
Bayern Munich counter with Neuer in goal, a back line of Laimer, Upamecano, Tah and Stanisic, Kimmich and Bischof sitting in midfield, Karl, Oluse and Davies feeding the attack, and Kane as the lone striker.
Kompany still out
This is the second straight European match Danks has run in Kompany's absence. Bayern drew with Viking FK and then with Arsenal in their two prior Champions League matches, results that left them with five points from their opening three group games. That's a middling return for a club used to running near the top of these tables, and it's part of why the lineup news out of Munich is getting attention ahead of this one.
Form on both sides
Atlético are the ones playing with the better recent form. Simeone's side sits second in La Liga after a 2-0 win over Levante on Saturday, even though their Champions League results have been shakier, just four points through their group games so far. In the European table itself, Bayern sit 15th with five points and Atlético sit 17th with four. Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Sporting CP and Real Betis are all tied at nine points atop the group phase, which gives some sense of how far back both Atlético and Bayern are starting from in this one.
Facts per BBC, Yahoo Sports. Opinion is the taproom's.