Back gritty Atletico Madrid to end Leicester City’s Champions League dream

Reigning Premier League champions Leicester City, rejuvenated under new boss Craig Shakespeare, aim to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit against Diego Simeone’s experienced Eurofighters Atletico Madrid.

Underdogs Leicester, so impressive at home when winning the Premier League against all odds last season, have continued their dominant King Power form with a 100% record in the Champions League this term — beating Porto (1-0), Copenhagen (1-0) and Club Brugge (2-1) in the group stages. The Foxes also fought back from a 2-1 defeat in Spain to Sevilla in the previous round, winning reasonably comfortably 2-0 on home soil to seal a last eight spot in their first ever season in the competition.

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However, seeking a third semifinal in four years, Atletico are made of sterner stuff and can be backed with confidence at 23-20 with Coral. They have the edge in European experience, twice beaten finalists against noisy neighbours Real Madrid in recent years, including last season’s penalty shootout heartbreak in the final in Milan. Crucially, avoiding a Leicester away goal in the first meeting, Los Rojiblancos will be a much more dangerous side on the counterattack in the Midlands.

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French forward Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal from the spot in the first leg and the Manchester United target is available at 4-1 with Paddy Power to make the breakthrough again. Foxes favourite Jamie Vardy suddenly seems to be enjoying his football once again now that Claudio Ranieri has been sacked. The rapid English striker is an attractive 13-2 with Paddy Power to give his side the lead on Tuesday.

Skipper Wes Morgan is struggling to make the game with a back injury, while the vastly experienced Robert Huth is suspended, meaning big holes are likely in the Foxes defence.

Therefore, we can expect Atletico to score which means Leicester will need three goals to progress, which simply isn’t likely to happen.  Leicester remain a best-priced 11-2 with bet365 to qualify for the semis, which says everything about the magnitude of the task facing them.

Atleti are a decent 12-5 with Bet Victor to win to NIL, just like they managed to do in the first leg in the cauldron of the Vicente Calderon. 1-0 (6-1 Bet Victor) and 2-0 (9-1 Paddy Power) are the most obvious scorelines in the Spanish side’s favour as Leicester’s European dream finally comes to an end.