Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the headline clashes of the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup is set for Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle, as the Seattle Sounders host Atletico Madrid. I’m backing a bet on goals in this encounter, with a tempting odds line to boot.
Match preview
The American side, led by Brian Schmetzer, narrowly lost their opening match 1-2 to Botafogo, but put in a commendable display. Seattle confidently created chances and actually outperformed the Brazilians on xG—a telling stat. This is a team that consistently finds the net: they've scored in 11 of their last 13 matches in international competitions, and on home soil the Sounders boast a superb record—32 goals in 13 games.
Seattle knows how to capitalize on home advantage. Over their last 13 games in the CONCACAF Champions League, they’ve lost just once. Their attacking style—bolstered by physical strength and vertical dynamism—poses problems even for higher-profile opponents. Facing Atletico is a chance to make a global statement and, at the very least, to get on the scoresheet.
Atletico have real cause for concern—a crushing 0-4 defeat to PSG in the opening round exposed old flaws in Simeone’s side. The defense looked vulnerable yet again, while the attack was toothless: just one shot on target for the entire match. Given their historically poor productivity away from home, especially in international tournaments, alarm bells are ringing louder than ever.
Outside Madrid, the Colchoneros’ record is bleak—they’ve failed to win 10 of their last 14 away matches in the Champions League. The team often collapses late on and struggles to keep clean sheets. The loss of Lenglet after his red card is another blow to an already shaky backline.
Probable line-ups
- Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei – Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Kim Kee-hee, Nouhou Tolo – Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnak, Danny Musovski – Jesus Ferreira, Ryan Kent
- Atletico Madrid: Jan Oblak – Javier Galan, Javi Galan, Robin Le Normand – Marcos Llorente, Rodrigo De Paul, Pablo Barrios, Samuel Lino – Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone
Match facts and head-to-head
- Seattle has scored in 11 of their last 13 matches in the CONCACAF Champions League and Club World Cup
- Atletico have failed to win 10 of their last 14 away Champions League matches
- This is the first-ever meeting between Seattle and Atletico in history
Prediction
Given Seattle’s consistent scoring at home and Atletico’s defensive issues—especially on the road—it’s highly likely that the Americans will find the net at least once. The hosts play with courage and aren’t afraid to take risks up front, and their motivation to earn their first points in front of their fans will be sky-high. Our pick for this match: Both teams to score, at odds of 2.18.
