Champions League: Atletico Madrid v Juventus last 16 betting preview and tip

BT Sport 3, 8pm Wednesday

Atletico Madrid and Juventus are all too familiar with being the bridesmaids and not the brides in the Champions League and they can put out statements of intent in a high-scoring humdinger in the Spanish capital.

The meeting between 2014 and 2016 runners-up Atletico and the Old Lady, who made the final in two of the last four seasons, looks set up to be a tight and low-scoring affair at first glance.

But bookmakers have failed to take into consideration the recent form of these sides.

Defensive juggernauts Atletico were ripped apart by an inconsistent Real Madrid unit in their last match at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium despite fielding first-choice centre-backs Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin.

That followed a month in which they lost 1-0 to Real Betis and crashed out of the Copa del Rey after shipping three at home to lowly Girona.

With full-back Lucas Hernandez nursing injury, an undercooked Filipe Luis was forced to slot in on the left side of defence in the weekend win over Rayo Vallecano and that could be a permeable area of the Spanish side's rearguard against Juve.

• La Liga standings
• Serie A standings

They came away 1-0 winners in that clash against Rayo but allowed their opponents 12 shots in the game and a more ruthless attack like that of the Italian side's will be less wasteful with their chances.

For once it appears that spectators are talking as much about Juve's attack as their defence and any game featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, as well as Atletico's in-form Antoine Griezmann, promises goals.

Ronaldo was far from his electrifying best in the group phase but leads the Serie A scoring charts with 19 goals and tends to rise to the occasion in the competition's latter stages.

Of his 121 Champions League goals, 60 have come in the knockout phase and he was on the scoresheet in both legs of Real Madrid's last 16 and quarter-final ties last campaign.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have had issues of their own at the back of late, having lost 3-0 to Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-final before relinquishing a two-goal advantage in their 3-3 draw at home to Parma in the league.

The Juve boss seems unsure of his best defence, frequently alternating between Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele Rugani and Martin Caceres through the centre.

Atletico, meanwhile, have conceded only five fewer league goals this term than they had done in the entire 2017-18 campaign, with 14 matches still to play.

Recommendation
Over 2.5 goals
1pt 13-8 Betfair, Hills

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Atletico Madrid
Midfielder Koke (thigh) is a doubt for the visit of Juve while Frenchman Lucas Hernandez is out as he nurses a knee injury.

Juventus
Douglas Costa and Daniele Rugani missed the match against Frosinone but are back in training and may make the bench. Juan Cuadrado (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Key stat
Atletico have conceded in five of their last nine matches in all competitions.

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