Champions League Is Back! A Quick Guide to One of the "Other Games"

With the majority of media attention on the four mouth-watering ties involving English sides, let’s take a look at one of the “other games.” Today, it’s Atlético Madrid versus FC Porto.

The first leg on Tuesday night sees Atlético back in the knockout stage for the first time in 12 years. They play host to the 2004 winners, Porto.

Surprisingly, their only previous meetings came all the way back in a 1963 first-round Fairs Cup tie which finished 2-1 in Atlético’s favour. The first leg in Madrid contained all the goals with the Spanish side playing out a goalless draw in Portugal to progress.

The Vicente Calderón will be filled with expectant Colchoneros (mattress-makers) fans as Atlético looks to continue their good home form in this season's Champions League.

Meanwhile fans of the Dragões (dragons) will travel with high hopes also, as an impressive win against Arsenal booked their place at the top of Group G. There should be a tinderbox atmosphere come kick-off.

The Teams

Club Atlético de Madrid

The long-time poor relation between Madrid’s footballing sides will be confident of progressing against a Porto side which has seen its best players constantly move on over the last few seasons—the last big name to leave, Ricardo Quaresma being bought by Inter Milan last summer.

Indeed, the Atlético squad contains no less than three former Dragões—Maniche, Champions League winner in 2004, Brazilian Paulo Assunção, and Greek Euro 2004 winner Giourkas Seitaridis—making up the old boys contingent.

As well as Maniche, the Atlético squad boasts one other Champions League winner, Luis Garcia, from the Liverpool side of 2005.

One to Watch

It has to be one of Atlético’s Argentine aces—a tough choice between the mercurial Maxi and the awesome Agüero. In fact, I can’t choose. Expect a performance from the pair!

Club Captain Maxi, 28, has been at the club since 2005 and is regarded as one of the most potent attacking midfielders in Europe, remembered for his extra-time winner against Mexico in the first knockout round of World Cup 2006—voted the tournaments best goal.

Agüero or Kun, as he is nicknamed (after a resemblance to a Japanese cartoon character), at age 20, has already begun to show why Atlético paid €20 million, three years ago, for the youngest player to play in Argentina’s top flight (aged just 15). With four goals in the competition already, the diminutive striker will be looking to add to that tally on Tuesday.

Futebol Clube de Porto

Clearly not the force that they were in 2004, under the stewardship of José Mourinho, the win against Arsenal earlier in the campaign showed that the Portuguese side is still a capable outfit. Four points clear at the top of the Liga Sagres, their team contains little in the way of big names.

Their home form has been solid this season—two surprising defeats to UD Leiria in the league and Dynamo Kiev earlier in the competition aside. It is away from home that Porto has excelled.

Ignoring the 4-0 hammering dealt out by Arsenal, the Dragões won both of their other Champions League away games in Istanbul—against Fenerbahçe and the reverse fixture in Kiev.

In the league, they have amassed an impressive 21 goals away, notching up seven wins out of 10. Comparing this to the 15 goals at home, it seems as if Porto plays better away—all which makes for an exciting night of football.

One to Watch

A tough one with such an evenly talented side, I’ll settle for Cristián Rodríguez. The Uruguayan-international, left-wing joined Porto from league rivals SL Benfica at the beginning of this season.

Nicknamed Cebolla (Spanish for onion) because of his ability to make the opposing defence cry, the 23 year old can be a match winner on his day and weighing in with goals; six in the league this season.

Will Tuesday be the day when he grabs his first Champions League goal?

Tomorrow a preview of another tie with a Spanish side; Villarreal versus Panathinaikos. Until then, Adios Amigo!