Two managers capable of out-plotting almost anyone tactically and two teams willing to slug it out physically are set to go head to head on Wednesday in the Champions League as Atlético Madrid host Chelsea, and it promises to be a match that will be an absolute battle from first whistle to last.
Both teams are just a few points outside of the top spot in their respective leagues, with Atlético in second place in La Liga and Chelsea in third in the Premier League. Neither club is satisfied with where they stand in their domestic competitions, but Atlético also come in with the additional fuel of being unhappy with their scoreless draw against AS Roma in their first Champions League match, while Chelsea got to skate by Qarabag in a 6-0 thrashing.
We’ve seen in the past how a dissatisfied Atlético side can be incredibly dangerous. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side can conquer a lot of things — but they’re going to have to be at their absolute scheming best if they’re going to overcome Atléti in this match.
Both teams are at near-full health, with only Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater expected to miss out in this match. Of course, Atlético Madrid’s newest signing and ex-Chelsea front man Diego Costa can’t face his former club yet, as he can’t be registered until January — though that won’t stop him from rooting against manager Antonio Conte, with whom he had a very public feud over the last several months.
Match info, plus how to watch on TV and stream
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
TV: Fox Sports regional networks (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Movistar+ (Spain), BT Sport 2 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer Match Pass, Fox Sports Go, ESPN3 (U.S.), beIN Sports Connect España (Spain), BT Sport Live (U.K.)
Make friends: Check out Into The Calderon for more Atlético Madrid coverage, and head over to We Ain’t Got No History to learn more about Chelsea.
Listings for more countries can be found at LiveSoccerTV.