Manchester United have the opportunity to silence their critics tonight when they visit Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

United were poor for long spells of the weekend draw against winless Tottenham with accusations again made that the players were not working hard enough. The responsibility for that lies with boss Michael Carrick and the pressure is starting to mount on the former England midfielder.

The Champions League has at least been a refuge. United thrashed Sabah 4-0 on matchday one, with Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Lisandro Martínez and Benjamin Šeško all scoring, and they currently sit third in the league-phase standings. Holding on to that position would be a significant achievement.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico have gone in completely the opposite direction since their opening night. A 2-1 defeat at Liverpool was followed by four straight La Liga wins, including a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the derby and a hard-fought 2-1 win at Alavés on Saturday, where Cristian Romero headed an 87th-minute winner. Simeone’s side are second in La Liga and have scored 11 goals during that winning run.

History is not on United’s side either. They have never beaten Atletico in a competitive match, and Simeone’s side knocked them out of the Champions League last 16 in 2022.

Where to Watch Atletico Madrid v Manchester United: TV and online streams

Atletico Madrid versus Manchester United kicks off at 8pm BST (9pm local time). In the UK, it is being shown on Amazon Prime Video.

If you live outside the UK, click the LINK HERE to find out where to watch it in your region.

Recent Form & Stats for Atletico Madrid v Manchester United

• Atleti are unbeaten in the four meetings between the sides (W2 D2). Their most recent encounters came in the 2021/22 Champions League round of 16, where they drew 1-1 in Madrid before winning 1-0 in Manchester.
• Atleti also dethroned United as European Cup Winners’ Cup holders in 1991/92, winning the teams’ second round tie 4-1 on aggregate (3-0 h, 1-1 a).
• Atleti have lost only two of their 19 matches against English teams in Spain (W9 D8), drawing three of the last four – including the most recent, 1-1 against Arsenal in last season’s semi-final first leg (1-2 aggregate).
• However, Atleti have won only two of their last 15 matches against English teams (D3 L10) and none in the Champions League group stage/league phase (D4 L7), going down 2-1 at Liverpool in their first fixture this season.
• United have lost only one of their last 11 matches against Spanish opponents (W7 D3). They beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away and 4-1 at home in the last fixtures, in the 2024/25 Europa League semi-finals, to make it three successive victories. 
• United’s last 10 matches against Spanish opponents have produced 35 goals, an average of 3.5 per game