Big Match Feature: Man City v Atletico

Manchester City

City's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W2 L3:

2020/21 Borussia Dortmund W 4-2 (2-1 h, 2-1 a)

2019/20 Lyon L 1-3 (n)

2018/19 Tottenham L 4-4 away goals (0-1 a, 4-3 h)

2017/18 Liverpool L 1-5 (0-3 a, 1-2 h)

2015/16 Paris Saint-Germain W 3-2 (2-2 a, 1-0 h)

City collected 12 points in this season's group stage to finish a point clear of Paris, winning all three home games –and scoring 12 goals in the process in defeating Leipzig (6-3), Club Brugge (4-1) and Paris (2-1). They then eased past Sporting CP in the round of 16 thanks to a 5-0 win in Portugal and a goalless draw in Manchester.•

In 2020/21 City ended a run of three successive quarter-final eliminations by going all the way to the UEFA Champions League final only to lose 1-0 to Chelsea at Porto's Estádio do Dragão on 29 May.•

City beat Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-0 a, 2-0 h), Borussia Dortmund (2-1 h, 2-1 a) and Paris (2-1 a, 2-0 h) enroute to the final. They had finished first in Group C with 16 points, keeping five clean sheets and conceding only one goal – equalling the UEFA Champions League group stage record.

City have already conceded ten goals in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League, five more than in their 13 games in last season's competition, although they have kept clean sheets in their last two matches, their first shut-outs of the European campaign.

Champions of England for the seventh time in 2020/21, their third title in four seasons, City also claimed the English League Cup for the fourth season in a row and the eighth overall.

This is the Cityzens' 11th UEFA Champions League campaign; they have been involved in the group stage every season since 2011/12 and have now reached the knockout rounds in nine successive campaigns.• Pep Guardiola's team are unbeaten in 18 home European matches (W16 D2) since a 2-1 loss against Lyon on Matchday 1 in 2018/19, winning ten in a row before drawing with Sporting this season.

City had won six successive home matches in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – and seven of the last nine (L2) – before being held by Sporting in this season's round of 16 second leg but overall have won only eight of their 15 home knockout phase matches in the competition (D3 L4).

City have won their last three games against Spanish clubs, most recently against Atlético's city rivals Real Madrid inthe 2019/20 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (2-1 a, 2-1 h).

That made City's record against Spanish clubs in two-legged knockout ties W2 L4 and ended a run of fou rsuccessive defeats. It was also their first aggregate victory against Liga opponents in the UEFA Champions League, having twice lost to Barcelona in the round of 16, in both 2013/14 (1-4 aggregate) and 2014/15 (1-3 agg), and Madrid in the 2015/16 semi-finals (0-1 agg).

The Cityzens won their first home knockout game against Spanish visitors, defeating Athletic Club 3-0 in the 1969/70European Cup Winners' Cup first round second leg (6-3 aggregate) but were without a victory in their next four matches (D2 L2) before beating Madrid two seasons ago.

City's home record against Spanish sides is W5 D3 L2, both defeats coming against Barcelona. Atlético

Atlético's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W6 L4:

2019/20 Leipzig L 1-2 (n)

2016/17 Leicester W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)

2015/16 Barcelona W 3-2 (1-2 a, 2-0 h)

2014/15 Real Madrid L 0-1 (0-0 h, 0-1 a)

2013/14 Barcelona W 2-1 (1-1 a, 1-0 h)

1996/97 Ajax L 3-4 (1-1 a, 2-3 h)

1977/78 Club Brugge L 3-4 (0-2 a, 3-2 h)

1973/74 Crvena zvezda W 2-0 (2-0 a, 0-0 h)

1970/71 Legia Warszawa W 2-2 away goals (1-0 h, 1-2 a)

1958/59 Schalke W 4-1 (3-0 h, 1-1 a)

Atlético are in the European Cup quarter-finals for the 11th time, and the sixth time in nine seasons. They have won three of their last five quarter-finals.

Atleti managed only two wins in this season's group stage (D1 L3), both away from home – 2-1 at AC Milan on Matchday 2 and, crucially, 3-1 at Porto in their final fixture. They also went down 2-0 at Liverpool. Having been held 1-1 at home by Manchester United in the round of 16 first leg, a 1-0 win in north-west England took them through.• The victory at Old Trafford was the 500th by a Spanish side in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final –the most of any nation.

Champions of Spain for the 11th time in 2020/21, Atlético finished two points ahead of Real Madrid in the final Liga standings to give them their second league championship under Diego Simeone, who also guided them to the title in2013/14.

This season was Atlético's ninth successive UEFA Champions League group campaign and 12th overall, level with Valencia; only Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 26 participations) have featured more among Spanish sides.• All but two of Atleti's 12 group appearances have extended into the knockout stages.

Last season, Simeone's side finished second in their section behind holders Bayern München, picking up nine points. They were the only side to deny Bayern victory in Group A, the 1-1 draw in Madrid on Matchday 5 ending the German club's record run of UEFA Champions League victories at 15.

Atlético then lost 1-0 against Chelsea in the first leg of their round of 16 tie, a game that was played in Bucharest, before a 2-0 defeat in London.

The Madrid club have now reached the quarter-finals or better in six of their last nine UEFA Champions League campaigns – all under Simeone.

This season's win at Manchester United was one of only eight Atlético victories in their last 22 European matches(D5 L9).

That win in Manchester was only Atlético's third in their last 12 away matches in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds (D2 L7), and the second in a row in England after the 3-2 success at Liverpool after extra time in the2019/20 round of 16 second leg.

Atleti have been victorious in ten of their 13 two-legged knockout contests against English teams, last season's aggregate defeat by Chelsea ending a run of five successive victories; only Derby County (1974/75 UEFA Cup) and Bolton Wanderers (2007/08 UEFA Cup) had previously eliminated them.

Atlético lost home (2-3) and away (0-2) to Liverpool in this season's group stage, finishing each game with ten men, the first-leg draw against United therefore ending a run of four successive losses against English clubs.• The victories at Liverpool in 2019/20 and United this season were two of just four wins for Atlético in 17 away games against English clubs, with six defeats. This season's defeat at Liverpool is, however, one of only two reverses in theirl ast eight visits to England (W3 D3).

Links and Trivia

Simeone got the better of Guardiola in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League semi-final when his Atlético side eliminated Guardiola's Bayern on away goals (1-0 h, 1-2 a). The coaches' one Liga meeting, however, ended with Guardiola's Barcelona defeating Simeone's Atlético 2-1 in Madrid on 26 February 2012.

Simeone and Guardiola were regular opponents as players, meeting in ten club matches when Simeone was with Atlético and Sevilla and Guardiola at Barcelona. Simeone recorded three wins to Guardiola's four, although the Argentinian did come out on top in the 1996 Copa del Rey final, Atlético winning 1-0 after extra time.

Simeone also helped Argentina to a 2-0 friendly victory against Guardiola's Spain in Seville on 17 November 1999.• Guardiola faced Atlético 22 times as a player while at Barcelona, scoring once (W13 D5 L4). As Barcelona coach, Guardiola faced Atlético ten times, winning eight matches and losing two.

Rodri joined City from Atlético in 2019 following a solitary season in the Spanish capital where he made 34 Liga appearances, scoring three times.

Born in Madrid, Rodri was an Atlético youth team player before moving to Villarreal in 2014, where he went on to make 63 Liga appearances. He rejoined Atleti in summer 2018.

Stefan Savic spent 2011/12 at City, making 11 Premier League appearances as the Manchester club claimed their first league title for 44 years.

Has also played in England:

Luis Suárez (Liverpool 2011–14)

Suárez's record against Manchester City with Liverpool was W2 D3 L1, his only goal coming in a 2-2 draw at Anfieldon 26 August 2012.

Suárez also scored both Barcelona goals in a 2-1 win at City in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16first leg; his record against the English club with Barça was W3 L1.

Have played together:

Rúben Dias & João Félix (Benfica 2015–19)

Raheem Sterling & Luis Suárez (Liverpool 2012–14)

International team-mates:

Rodri, Aymeric Laporte & Koke, Marcos Llorente, Mario Hermoso (Spain)

Kevin De Bruyne & Yannick Carrasco (Belgium)

Ederson, Gabriel Jesus & Felipe, Matheus Cunha, Renan Lodi (Brazil)

Bernardo Silva, João Cancelo, Rúben Dias & João Félix (Portugal)

Koke, Llorente, Rodri and Laporte were part of the Spain squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2020.Latest news

Manchester City

Fernandinho made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, on Matchday 8; hewas the 44th player to reach a century of games in the competition.

Scott Carson's substitute appearance in the round of 16 second leg against Sporting was just his second in the UEFA Champions League and came almost 17 years after his first, for Liverpool against Juventus in the quarter-final first leg on 5 April 2005.

Having drawn 0-0 at home to Sporting CP in the round of 16 second leg, City were held by the same scoreline at Crystal Palace on 14 March, the first time since October they had failed to score in successive matches, when Palacewere also their second opponents.

City hit four goals in their next fixture, a 4-1 win at Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on 20 March. They will play Liverpool at Wembley in the last four on 16 April.

City had won 14 of their 15 Premier League games, drawing 1-1 at Southampton on 22 January, before a 3-2 home defeat against Tottenham on 19 February; they have won three of their four matches since, including Saturday's 2-0success at Burnley.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring at Burnley with his fourth goal in his last four City appearances. It was also his tenth in this season's Premier League, enabling him to reach double figures in the competition for just the second time after his 13-goal haul in 2019/20.

That loss to Spurs is City's only defeat in their last 21 matches in all competitions (W17 D3).

The defeat against Spurs is one of only two City reverses in their last 29 games in all competitions (W24 D3), the other at Leipzig on Matchday 6.

City have won all 23 Premier League games this season in which they have taken the lead.

Aymeric Laporte made his 100th Premier League appearance at Burnley, his 82nd victory in the competition; no player has won more games in their first century of appearances.

Pep Guardiola's side have scored 57 goals in their last 21 games, conceding 12.

City won 36 league games in 2021, an English top-flight record; the previous best of 33 was set by Liverpool in 1982.9Manchester City FC - Club Atlético de Madrid Tuesday 5 April 2022 - 21.00CET (20.00 local time)

Match press kit City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester

Nineteen of those victories came away from home, another top-flight best.

On 29 March João Cancelo and Bernardo Silva helped Portugal to a 2-0 home win against North Macedonia to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup finals.

The same day, Riyad Mahrez's Algeria lost 2-1 after extra time at home to Cameroon to miss out on a World Cup place on away goals.

England captain Raheem Sterling scored one goal and set up another in a 3-0 friendly win against the Ivory Coast at Wembley on 29 March; Jack Grealish also provided an assist.

Nathan Aké scored in the Netherlands' 4-2 friendly win at home to Denmark on 26 March, when Ilkay Gündogan provided an assist in Germany's 2-0 victory against Israel.

Rúben Dias has been out since 1 March with a hamstring injury.

John Stones missed England's games during the international break with a groin problem, withdrawing from the starting line-up for the 2-1 friendly win against Switzerland on 25 March. He was an unused substitute on Saturday.• Cole Palmer has not played since scoring in City's FA Cup win at Swindon on 7 January due to an ankle injury.• City signed Julián Álvarez from River Plate in January, although the 22-year-old forward has been loaned back to the Argentinian club for the rest of the season.

Atlético

Yannick Carrasco's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

Luis Suárez has scored 48 goals in UEFA club competition.

Atleti have won their last six games in all competitions, beating Alavés 4-1 at home on Saturday with João Félix and Suárez both scoring twice. They are unbeaten since a 1-0 defeat at home to Levante on 16 February; their record since is W7 D1.

That loss at Levante was Atlético's tenth in 19 games.

Koke scored in a 1-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano on 19 March, the Atlético captain's first goal for the club since January 2021.

The win at Rayo Vallecano was Atlético's third clean sheet in their last six Liga fixtures, but one of only four in the ast 17; they have conceded two or more goals in eight of those games but none of the last seven.• Atlético have conceded 37 goals in this season's Liga; they let in only 25 in the whole of 2020/21.• Atlético's seven Liga defeats in 2021/22 is three more than in the whole of last season's title-winning campaign.• João Félix has scored seven goals in his last eight Atlético appearances in all competitions.•

Renan Lodi's winner at Manchester United in the round of 16 second leg was his third goal in his last six games for Atlético; his two Liga goals this season is a career best.

Mario Hermoso, an unused substitute on Saturday, has scored twice in his last five Atleti appearances, late winners at home to Valencia on 22 January (3-2) and Getafe on 12 February (4-3). His only previous Liga goal for the Madrid club had come on 22 December 2020.

Suárez found the net in Uruguay's 2-0 victory in Chile on 29 March to become the all-time top-scorer in South American FIFA World Cup qualifying with 29 goals – overtaking Lionel Messi.

Šime Vrsaljko went off early in a 3-1 victory at Betis on 6 March with a thigh injury, returning to play 90 minutes atthe weekend. Thomas Lemar, who scored in that win at Betis, started on Saturday having also not featured since the Betis match due to a hamstring problem; he was withdrawn at half-time against Alavés.

Daniel Wass, a January signing from Valencia, picked up a knee problem on his debut after coming on as a substitute against Barcelona in a 4-2 defeat on 6 February and has not played since, although he was an unused substitute on Saturday.

Matheus Cunha came on in the second half on Saturday, his first appearance since suffering a knee injury against Levante on 16 February, and set up Atlético's fourth goal.

Héctor Herrera missed the weekend win with a hamstring injury.