Key events
Harry Kane’s captaining Bayern Munich tonight. I knew he was having a ridiculous season, but I haven’t looked at the numbers for a while: he’s got 45 club goals in 38 appearances, with eight in eight Champions League games. He’s two shy of 50 goals in the competition. Tidy.
Over in Barcelona, the hosts are trying to get to double digits.
Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitiké are back for Liverpool after starting on the bench against Tottenham on Sunday.
The suspended Richarlison is missing for Spurs, with Kolo Muani to lead the line. Dominic Solanke was a doubt for this one and he’s not included in the squad. Jan Oblak is not in Atlético’s XI.
Bayern Munich v Atalanta teams
Bayern Munich: Urbig, Stanisic, Kim, Tah, Bischof, Goretzka, Pavlovic, Karl, Guerreiro, Díaz, Kane
Subs: Bartl, Prescott, Upamecano, Gnabry, Jackson, Ito, Laimer, Ofli, Manuba, Pavic
Atalanta: Sportiello, Kossounou, Hien, Scalvini, Bellanova, Pasalic, Éderson, Bernasconi, De Ketelaere, Sulemana, Scamacca
Subs: Carnesecchi, Rossi, Bakker, Samardzic, De Roon, Raspadori, Djimsiti, Kolasinac, Zalewski, Ahanor, Zappacosta, Krstovic
Tottenham v Atlético Madrid teams
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Spence, Simons, Sarr, Gray, Tel, Muani
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Danso, Udogie, Bergvall, Gallagher, Olusesi, Kyerematen, Rowswell
Atlético Madrid: Musso, Molina, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri, Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman, Alvarez, Griezmann
Subs: Esquivel, De Luis, Giménez, Koke, Sørloth, Baena, Almada, Lenglet, Pubill, Vargas, González, Díaz
Liverpool v Galatasaray teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Ekitiké, Wirtz
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Steel, Robertson, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha
Galatasaray: Cakir, Boey, Singo, Bardakci, Jacobs, Torreira, Lemina, Sallai, Gabriel Sara, Yilmaz, Osimhen
Subs: Sen, Guvenc, Icardi, Sané, Akgun, Elmali, Gündogan, Kutucu, Asprilla, Ayhan, Gurpuz, Lang
Preamble
Away we go, with three more Champions League last-16 ties to complete. One is almost certainly done, with Bayern Munich 6-1 up as they prepare to host Atalanta. Spurs’ first-half collapse against Atlético Madrid means they’re three goals down – chuck in their turmoil in the league and it’s incredibly hard to see a way back … but maybe Igor Tudor’s playing this on repeat in the dressing room.
Realistically, we’ve got to focus on Liverpool’s meeting with Galatasaray, the tightest of the lot, the Turkish side 1-0 up after Mario Lemina’s goal at Rams Park. Arne Slot has got some heat on him but, as Jonathan Liew points out, how much of this is really on him?
double quotation mark Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, still in the Champions League, and have accumulated more league points since the start of last season than anybody bar Arsenal. On the other hand, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, on the verge of elimination from the Champions League, and on pace to drop 22 points from last season.
