Atletico Madrid Picks - 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Lines

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Atletico Madrid UEFA Champions League Odds

It’s not always easy to win titles when you play in the same country as two juggernauts, but Atletico Madrid has been able to make it work over the years. Atletico has largely been in the shadow of city rival Real Madrid and Barcelona, yet the club has had quite a bit of success, especially in recent years.

Atletico Madrid are the third-most successful club in Spanish football. They have won 10 league titles and 10 Spanish cups over the course of their history, most recently winning the Copa del Rey in 2013 and La Liga in 2014.

The club’s first European title came in 1962, when they knocked off Fiorentina over the course of two ties to win the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. They made it to the final of that same competition the very next year, but they ended up getting trounced by Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Atletico was able to challenge for European glory off and on over the next few decades, but the club wasn’t unable to win another cup until this decade. In 2010, they won their first Europa League title in dramatic fashion. The club beat Sporting Lisbon and Valencia on away goals, and then Atletico knocked off Liverpool and Fulham in extra time to claim the crown. They were far more decisive in 2012, beating all five of their opponents by multiple goals on their way to their second Europa League title.

Last season’s Europa League was won by Atletico too. After getting knocked out of the Champions League in the Group Stage, they were sent to the Europa League and immediately became the favorites to win the competition. Atletico was able to snuff out opponents’ attacks with their stingy defense, allowing just four goals in their nine matches en route to their third Europa League title.

Odds on Atletico Madrid to win the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League: +1400

Atletico Madrid in European Football

It’s bad enough to be in the shadow of a city rival, but things become even more compounded when that team keeps beating you in European play too. Atletico Madrid lost the 2014 Champions League Final to Real Madrid in extra time, were eliminated by them in the Quarterfinals of the tournament the following year, and lost in penalties to them in the 2016 Champions League Final. Coming up just short hurts a lot, but that pain is magnified when the team that keeps beating you is only a few miles away.

Last season, Atletico was able to dodge more heartbreak by winning the Europa League title. They looked like the best team throughout the competition and re-discovered their attacking form after losing it in the Champions League Group Stage.

Atletico Madrid is looking to erase those demons this season. The club has one of the stingiest defenses in the world and one of the best goalkeepers in Jan Oblak. Their offense should be much improved too, as they were able to hold off Barcelona to keep Antoine Griezmann. Manager Diego Simone can pair him with Diego Costa up top in order to create a nice combination.

They weren’t content to just sit on their hands during the summer either. Atletico broke the bank to acquire Thomas Lemar from Monaco, and he is expected to open things up on the attack. This combination might be the one that makes Atletico the Kings of Europe.

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