Bayern Munich return to the Metropolitano on Tuesday for the first time since the February night when Atletico Madrid knocked them out of the Champions League. Vincent Kompany will not be in the away dugout.
The Belgian collapsed at Bayern’s Säbener Strasse training complex on Friday 23 October and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with meningeal irritation. He was discharged six days later, but board member Max Eberl said his absence would be measured in “weeks, not days.” Assistant coach Aaron Danks has stepped in and led Bayern to a 3-1 win at SC Freiburg the Sunday after Kompany’s collapse.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico arrive in a different mood. On Saturday they beat Levante 2-0 away through Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone, a seventh straight league win that lifted them provisionally top of La Liga before Barcelona played Alaves later the same day. It was also Simeone’s 344th LaLiga win, tying him with Luis Aragonés at the top of Atletico’s all-time list in 191 fewer matches.
“I don’t feel it much as mine, but it belongs to my players, everyone who has been with me for so many years,” Simeone said to France 24.
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Kane’s miss, Silva’s late equaliser
Bayern themselves arrive in slightly less commanding form after Saturday’s Klassiker. Harry Kane struck the crossbar from the penalty spot in the 56th minute and Fábio Silva volleyed home a late equaliser to send the game to a 2-2 draw. Bayern remain unbeaten in 23 Bundesliga matches, the longest active run in Europe’s big-five leagues. Kane, who had displayed his Ballon d’Or before kick-off, finished without a shot on target.
Both sides also come in off European draws. Atletico were held 1-1 at Stuttgart on 20 October, and 24 hours later Bayern conceded a late Declan Rice equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Arsenal.
What happened in February
Atletico had lost the first leg 1-0 in Munich. In the return at the Metropolitano on 27 February, Marcos Llorente opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and Jamal Musiala equalised before half-time. Antoine Griezmann then scored twice in eight second-half minutes, converting a 65th-minute penalty and finishing again in the 73rd, to send Atletico through 3-2 on the night and into the quarter-finals.
Kick-off at the Metropolitano is at 9pm local time on Tuesday 3 November.
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