SAEDNEWS: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Carrick Braces for Tough Challenge as Atletico Target Fifth Consecutive Victory
According to Saednews, Atletico Madrid host Manchester United at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, in the second round of the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League league phase. Diego Simeone’s side arrive on the back of four consecutive victories, while Michael Carrick’s struggling United are desperate to end a four-match winless run.
The contrasting form adds pressure to an already important European encounter. Atletico are looking to bounce back from their opening defeat against Liverpool, while United began their Champions League campaign with a convincing 4–0 victory over Sabah. With injuries limiting Carrick’s defensive options and Atletico having a fully fit squad, the visitors face a difficult challenge in Madrid.
Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, Matchday 2
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Kick-off: 8:00 pm BST
Venue: Metropolitano Stadium
Location: Madrid, Spain
Referee: Glenn Nyberg
United Kingdom: 8:00 pm BST, Tuesday, October 13
United States (Eastern): 3:00 pm ET, Tuesday, October 13
The Champions League fixture will be available on different streaming platforms depending on the country.
United Kingdom: Amazon Prime Video
United States: Paramount+
In the UK, the match will not be broadcast on a traditional live television channel, with coverage available through Amazon Prime Video.
Diego Simeone has a fully fit squad available for Tuesday’s encounter, giving the Atletico manager plenty of flexibility when selecting his starting XI.
Julián Álvarez is expected to lead the attack, supported by Lee Kang-in, who has impressed since joining from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer.
Cristian Romero, who scored Atletico’s late winner against Alaves, is also expected to play a key role in defence alongside Dávid Hancko.
Alejandro Grimaldo has been influential in recent victories, scoring the opening goals against both Real Madrid and Alaves.
Atletico have no reported injuries or suspensions ahead of the match.
Manchester United face a more complicated selection situation, particularly in defence, with several players unavailable.
Manchester United injury list:
Matthijs de Ligt: Ruled out with a back injury.
Noussair Mazraoui: Unavailable due to a back problem.
Patrick Dorgu: Ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Manuel Ugarte: Out with a knee injury after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the summer.
Benjamin Sesko: Unavailable with a lower-leg injury.
Tom Heaton: Doubtful due to an abdominal problem.
The defensive absences could see Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martínez form United’s central defensive partnership, with Luke Shaw also expected to start.
Kobbie Mainoo is available in midfield, while captain Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo are expected to provide attacking support for Matheus Cunha.
Sesko’s absence leaves Cunha as the leading candidate to play through the middle of United’s attack.
Several possible starting combinations have been suggested for both teams, particularly in defence and midfield. The following lineups are predictions rather than confirmed selections.
Starting XI: Jan Oblak; Marc Pubill, Cristian Romero, Dávid Hancko; Marcos Llorente, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Giuliano Simeone; Lee Kang-in, Álex Baena; Julián Álvarez.
An alternative prediction includes Alejandro Grimaldo and Johnny Cardoso, along with a different defensive structure, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Simeone’s final selection.
Starting XI: Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw; Kobbie Mainoo, Carlos Baleba; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Matheus Cunha.
Another predicted United lineup features Diogo Dalot instead of Yoro and Youri Tielemans alongside Mainoo in midfield.
Carrick’s final defensive selection will be particularly important given the absences of De Ligt, Mazraoui and Dorgu.
Atletico Madrid have responded impressively to their opening Champions League defeat against Liverpool.
Simeone’s team have won four consecutive matches across all competitions, including a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid and their latest success against Alaves.
Against Alaves, Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring in the first half before Cristian Romero netted a late winner against opponents who had been reduced to 10 men.
Atletico have scored 11 goals across their four consecutive victories, demonstrating the attacking form they will take into Tuesday’s fixture.
Alaves 1–2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid 2–1 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid 4–0 Osasuna
Real Sociedad 0–3 Atletico Madrid
Liverpool 2–1 Atletico Madrid
Despite their strong domestic performances, Atletico are still searching for their first Champions League victory of the campaign.
Manchester United’s recent performances have been considerably less convincing.
The Red Devils opened their European campaign with a comfortable 4–0 victory over Sabah but have since gone four consecutive matches without a win across all competitions.
Defeats against Manchester City and Brighton were followed by 1–1 draws with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.
Their latest setback came against 10-man Tottenham at Old Trafford, where Dominic Solanke’s 92nd-minute header secured a point for the visitors.
The result prompted boos from sections of the home crowd and increased the pressure on Carrick ahead of a challenging European trip.
Manchester United 1–1 Tottenham
Fulham 1–1 Manchester United
Manchester United 2–3 Brighton
Manchester United 0–1 Manchester City
Manchester United 4–0 Sabah
United have scored just four goals in their last four matches while conceding six.
Their Champions League opener nevertheless offers a more encouraging reference point, with United scoring four unanswered goals against Sabah.
The clubs have met four times in competitive matches, with Atletico Madrid remaining unbeaten across those encounters.
The Spanish side have recorded two victories and two draws against United in competitive fixtures.
Their most recent Champions League meeting came in the 2021–22 round of 16, when Atletico progressed with a 2–1 aggregate victory.
A 1–1 draw in the first leg in Madrid was followed by a 1–0 Atletico win at Old Trafford.
Manchester United 2–1 Atletico Madrid
Manchester United 0–1 Atletico Madrid
Manchester United 0–1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid 1–1 Manchester United
A recent friendly victory gave United a win over Atletico outside competitive football, but the English club remain without a competitive victory against the Spanish side.
Atletico’s overall record against English opposition presents an interesting contrast.
They have won just two of their last 15 matches against English clubs, drawing three and losing 10.
However, their home record is considerably stronger.
Across 19 matches against English opponents in Spain, Atletico have recorded nine wins, eight draws and just two defeats.
Their most recent home encounter against English opposition ended in a 1–1 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of last season’s Champions League semi-final.
United, meanwhile, have lost just one of their last 11 matches against Spanish opposition, winning seven and drawing three.
League-phase standings after Matchday 1:
Atletico Madrid: 25th
Manchester United: 4th
Matches played: 1
Wins: 0
Draws: 0
Defeats: 1
Goals scored: 1
Goals conceded: 2
Clean sheets: 0
Matches played: 1
Wins: 1
Draws: 0
Defeats: 0
Goals scored: 4
Goals conceded: 0
Clean sheets: 1
Manchester United enter the second matchday with the stronger European record, having collected three points and kept a clean sheet in their opening fixture.
Atletico, meanwhile, are still searching for their first points following their defeat at Liverpool.
The league-phase standings contrast sharply with the teams’ recent domestic form, where Simeone’s side have been considerably more consistent.
Atletico Madrid’s four-match winning streak gives them a clear advantage in terms of recent form, particularly with Simeone able to choose from a fully fit squad.
Grimaldo’s recent goals and Romero’s decisive contribution against Alaves underline how Atletico have received important contributions from players beyond their established attacking stars.
United’s situation is less certain. Carrick must cope with several defensive absences while trying to improve a team that has struggled to turn performances into victories since beating Sabah.
The visitors can take encouragement from their broader record against Spanish opposition and their emphatic Champions League opening result. However, Atletico’s strong home record against English teams represents a significant obstacle.
The key contrast is between Atletico’s domestic momentum and United’s stronger start to the European league phase.
For Simeone’s side, a victory would secure their first Champions League points of the season and extend their winning streak to five matches.
For Carrick, a positive result in Madrid would provide a much-needed response to United’s recent struggles and offer an opportunity to rebuild confidence after four consecutive matches without a win.
