Atletico Madrid arrive at Bayer Leverkusen for Champions League last 16, first leg, clash hoping for a sixth straight clean-sheet in Europe, with Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann hunting more goals
Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann
Leverkusen (Germany): Atletico Madrid arrive at Bayer Leverkusen for Champions League last 16, first leg, clash hoping for a sixth straight clean-sheet in Europe, with Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann hunting more goals.
Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann. Pic/Getty Images
Between them the pair have already bagged 37 goals this season as the 2014 Champions League finalists look to leave Leverkusen's BayArena with an advantage in the hunt for a quarter-final place.
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Former Bayern Munich striker Mandzukic has already shown Pep Guardiola what he is missing in Bavaria by scoring 20 goals, while Griezmann has hit the net 17 times for Atletico this season.
French midfielder Griezmann says Diego Simeone's Madrid need a good start in Leverkusen, just as they had in Saturday's 3-0 home league win over Almeria to stay third in the table.
"We need to keep working and enjoying the games like we are at the moment," said the Frenchman after netting in the 20th and 29th minute following Mandzukic's 13th-minute penalty.
"We need to face all the games the same way, trying to win and coming out flying from the start." The only casualty for Madrid is midfielder Koke.