Atletico Madrid lost 2-1 to Liverpool in their opening Champions League match of the season.
Diego Simeone's side will host Manchester United at the Metropolitano Stadium next month.
Michael Carrick will be watching United's upcoming opponents in the Champions League, with the Reds starting their European campaign on Thursday night against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK.
After seeing Liverpool beat Atletico 2-1 at Anfield, here are five things we learned about our future Spanish opponents.
Now that we are in the new-look Champions League, what are your predictions?
Atletico's Marco Llorente operated as a wing-back and was involved up and down the pitch.
His standout moment came in the 17th minute when he put Atletico 1-0 up.
Llorente cut in from the left flank and connected with a pass from Julian Alvarez after getting behind Liverpool's defence.
Luke Shaw should take note and try to stop Llorente from doing the same when United travel to the Metropolitano.
It was Llorente's fifth goal against Liverpool, suggesting he enjoys playing against Premier League sides.
After a summer in which Atletico striker Julian Alvarez was strongly linked with Arsenal and Barcelona, Diego Simeone had only given his compatriot two substitute appearances in La Liga before this match at Anfield.
Alvarez made his first start of the season, meaning he will likely lead the line against United on 13 October, 2026.
The former Man City striker did not score, but he set up Llorente for the opening goal.
In the first half, Atletico impressed with their defenders comfortable playing out from the back.
Their passing was slick as they moved through Liverpool's defence, but the game shifted after Andoni Iraola's side equalised before the break.
That showed Liverpool that persistent attacking could find a way through Atletico's defence.
Although Atletico defended in numbers throughout, a long-range shot from MacAllister proved to be the winner in the 50th minute.
United should take encouragement from the fact that Atletico, once known for their defensive solidity, can be breached.
Would you go with wholesale changes too? Or are we underestimating Sabah?👀
Canadian international Jonathan David came off the bench late in the match to make his debut for Atletico Madrid.
Source: www.unitedinfocus.com — Read the original article
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