Atlético Madrid, under Diego Simeone, bring experience and tactical resilience, but recent knockout history has been mixed. The Spanish side arrives in the playoff stage having finished 14th in the league phase stage. Gaining an early advantage in Wednesday’s first-leg UCL playoff clash would surely increase their chances of heading into the knockout phase. However, a poor run of form could see those ambitions dashed. Simeone’s side have lost four of their last six Champions League knockout ties, a statistic that suggests vulnerability when margins become tight at this stage of the competition. Against Belgian opposition overall, Atlético have limited experience beyond Club Brugge. Their only other meeting came in a 3–1 home victory against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise earlier in the competition, offering little additional historical context compared with their extensive record against Brugge. Nevertheless, Diego Simeone's men will be looking to claim a win here when they appear with a 3—5—2 formation, having Ademola Lookman and Julián Álvarez in attack.