Lazio vs Atlético de Madrid match facts

Lazio and Atlético de Madrid are both aiming to make up for last season's group stage disappointment as they kick off in Group E of the UEFA Champions League.

While Atleti missed out on European knockout football for the first time since 2010/11 last season having finished bottom of their Champions League section, Lazio were unable to progress from their UEFA Europa League section, although they did make it as far as the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16 having transferred to that competition.

This is Atlético's 11th successive Champions League group appearance while Lazio are featuring for only the second time in 16 seasons – although on their last campaign, in 2020/21, they made it as far as the round of 16.

Dutch champions Feyenoord and Scottish counterparts Celtic are also in Group E.

Previous meetings 

Lazio wins 1
Atlético wins 2
Draws 1
Lazio goals 2
Atlético goals 4

Both the sides' previous ties have come in the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

Lazio emerged victorious in the 1997/98 semi-finals, Vladimir Jugović's 33rd-minute strike in the first leg in Madrid the only goal of the tie. Sven-Göran Eriksson's side, which included current Lazio coach Diego Simeone, would go on to lose 3-0 against Inter Milan in an all-Italian final.

Atlético gained their revenge in the 2011/12 round of 32 in what was Simeone's first European tie as their coach, winning 4-1 on aggregate. It was Lazio who struck first, Miroslav Klose giving them a 19th-minute lead in the first leg in Rome, but Adrián López levelled within six minutes and two Radamel Falcao strikes either side of the interval (37, 63) earned a 3-1 away win at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Spanish side sealed an aggregate victory at the Estadio Vicente Calderón, Diego Godín scoring the only goal three minutes into the second half.

Atlético went on to win the trophy, Falcao scoring twice in a 3-0 final victory against fellow Spanish side Athletic Club in Bucharest.

Form guide

Lazio

Record vs Spanish clubs: W5 D4 L11 F22 A41
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W3 D4 L3

Lazio have lost their last five matches against Spanish clubs, most recently going down home (0-1) and away (0-2) against Sevilla in the 2018/19 Europa League round of 32.

A 2-1 home victory against Villarreal in the 2009/10 Europa League group stage is the Rome club's only win in their last 11 games against La Liga opponents, home or away (D3 L7).

Lazio have lost their last two games to Spanish visitors in Rome; they were unbeaten in the previous seven (W3 D4).

Lazio are returning to the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2020/21, when they finished second in their section behind Borussia Dortmund and went out to another German club, Bayern München, in the round of 16 (1-4 h, 1-2 a).

This is the Rome club's seventh group appearance overall but only a second in the last 16 seasons.

Lazio took part in the Europa League in 2022/23, finishing third in Group F behind Feyenoord and Midtjylland – all four teams in the section, including eliminated Sturm Graz, ending on eight points – to move into the Europa Conference League. They edged out CFR Cluj in the knockout round play-offs (1-0 h, 0-0 a), but then lost 1-2 home and away against AZ Alkmaar in the last 16.

The home defeat by AZ last season ended Lazio's eight-match unbeaten European run in Rome (W4 D4).

Maurizio Sarri's side were second in Serie A last season, 16 points behind leaders Napoli. It was their highest league finish since claiming their second title in 1999/2000.

Atlético de Madrid

Record vs Italian clubs: W16 D5 L10 G41 A26
Away record vs Italian clubs: W5 D3 L6

A 2-1 win at Milan on Matchday 2 in 2021/22 is Atlético's only victory, home or away, in their last five matches against Italian clubs (D1 L3); they had been victorious in six of their previous eight (D2).

The Spanish side had lost their previous two away games against Italian clubs, both at Juventus, before winning in Milan; they had been unbeaten in their four previous matches away to Serie A sides (W2 D2).

Atlético's last game against Italian visitors brought a 1-0 defeat by AC Milan on Matchday 5 of the 2021/22 Champions League. That was their first home defeat against a Serie A side since a 3-1 reverse against Parma in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup semi-final first leg (2-5 aggregate).

Atlético are making their 14th Champions League group appearance and an 11th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013/14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Simeone's side failed to progress from their section for the first time in five seasons in 2022/23. However, unlike on the previous occasion in 2017/18, when they went on to win the Europa League, Atleti bowed out of Europe altogether having finished bottom of Group B.

Atlético opened last season's Champions League campaign with a 2-1 home win against Porto – all three goals coming in added time, a competition first – but failed to win a game after that (D2 L3).

That was the first time Atlético had finished bottom of their Champions League group.

Atlético have won four of their last ten away matches in the ¬¬¬Champions League, losing the other six, including the last four; they have scored only once in those four matches, a 2-1 defeat at Porto on Matchday 6 last season.

The Colchoneros were third in La Liga for the second successive season in 2022/23, finishing 11 points behind champions Barcelona and one behind Real Madrid.

Links and trivia

Simeone made 136 appearances for Lazio in all competitions between 1999 and 2003, scoring 18 goals. He was part of the side that won the Serie A-Coppa Italia double in 1999/2000 and also claimed the UEFA Super Cup in 1999.

Simeone also played for Pisa (1990–92) and Inter Milan (1997–99) in Italy, winning the UEFA Cup in 1997/98 with the latter thanks to that 3-0 final victory against Lazio.

Simeone was in charge of Catania for 18 Serie A matches between 22 January and 22 May 2011, including a 4-1 home loss against Lazio on 17 April.

Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri faced Simeone's Atlético while in charge of Juventus in the 2019/20 Champions League. It finished 2-2 in Madrid on Matchday 1 before a 1-0 Juventus victory in Turin on Matchday 5.

Sarri was in charge of the Chelsea side that beat Arsenal 4-1 in the 2019 Europa League final, César Azpilicueta captaining the Blues. Pedro Rodríguez scored Chelsea's second goal.

Pedro and Azpilicueta were Chelsea team-mates between 2015 and 2020, also winning the Premier League in 2016/17 and the FA Cup the following season.

Have also played together:
Luca Pellegrini & Álvaro Morata (Juventus 2021/22)
Matías Vecino & Stefan Savić (Fiorentina 2013)

Pedro played for Barcelona's first team between 2008 and 2015. His record against Atlético is W10 D5 L2, although he has never scored against them.

Pedro and Azpilicueta were in the Spain squad that finished second in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Morata faced Lazio eight times with Juventus, where he played from 2014 to 2016 and again from 2020 to 2022, scoring three goals (W6 D2). Two of those goals came in a 3-1 Serie A win on 6 March 2021 and the other the last time he faced Lazio, a 2-2 draw in Turin on 16 May 2022.

Have also played in Spain:
Patric (Barcelona 2008–15)
Luis Alberto (Sevilla 2004–13, Barcelona B 2012/13 loan, Málaga 2014/15 loan, Deportivo 2015/16 loan)
Ciro Immobile (Sevilla 2015/16)
Taty Castellanos (Girona 2022/23 loan)
Mario Gila (Real Madrid 2018–22)

Have also played in Italy:
Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese 2016–21)
Stefan Savić (Fiorentina 2012–15)
Nanuel Molina (Udinese 2020–22)

International team-mates:
Adam Marušić & Stefan Savić (Montenegro)
Matías Vecino & José Giménez (Uruguay)
Mattéo Guendouzi & Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar (France)

Immobile scored Italy's goal from the penalty spot in a 2-1 defeat by Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on 15 June. Morata started for Spain.

Giménez's Uruguay knocked out Immobile's Italy from the 2014 FIFA World Cup group stage with a 1-0 win thanks to an 81st-minute goal from then-Atleti defender Godín.

Çağlar Söyüncü's Türkiye lost 3-0 in Rome in the UEFA EURO 2020 group stage to an Italy side for whom Immobile scored the second goal and set up the third.

Immobile, Azpilicueta and Koke started Italy's win against Spain in the EURO 2020 semi-finals on 6 July 2021 at Wembley. Marcos Llorente and Morata came on in the second half, the latter making it 1-1 in the 80th minute but going on to miss his kick in Italy's shoot-out victory.

Morata also scored in Spain's 3-0 win against Immobile's Italy in 2018 World Cup qualifying on 2 September 2017; Koke started for the home side with Saúl Ñíguez a late substitute.

Latest news

Lazio

Summer signings
In: Matteo Cancellieri (Verona, loan made permanent), Diego González (Celaya, loan made permanent), Valentín Castellanos (New York City), Daichi Kamada (free agent), Nicolò Rovella (Juventus, loan), Luca Pellegrini (Juventus, loan), Luigi Sepe (Salernitana, loan), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille, loan), Christos Mandas (OFI Crete), Gustav Isaksen (Midtjylland)
Out: Francesco Acerbi (Inter, loan made permanent), Emanuele Cicerelli (Reggina, loan made permanent), Riza Durmisi (released), Gonzalo Escalante (Cádiz, loan made permanent), Raúl Moro (Valladolid), Pedro (released), Ștefan Radu (retired), Luka Romero (released), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Al-Hilal), Matteo Cancellieri (Empoli, loan), Luís Maximiano (Almería, loan), Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Monza, loan), Marcos Antonio (PAOK, loan), Mohamed Fares (Brescia, loan)

Lazio have lost three of their four Serie A games this season, going down 3-1 at Juventus on Saturday.

The Rome club started the Serie A season with consecutive defeats before a 2-1 win at champions Napoli on 2 September.

Maurizio Sarri's men conceded twice in the last five minutes to lose 2-1 at Lecce on 20 August after Ciro Immobile had given them the lead.

That was Immobile's 200th goal in the top five European leagues (Lazio 163, Torino 27, Genoa 5, Dortmund 3, Sevilla 2).

A week later Lazio lost 1-0 at home against Genoa. It was the second time in the last ten seasons they had started the campaign with two defeats, after 2018/19.

Daichi Kamada scored his first goal for Lazio at Napoli, Luis Alberto having got the first. The latter was also on target in the weekend defeat.

Alongside Giacomo Bonaventura, Luis Alberto is the only midfielder to have registered a goal and an assist in the each of last eight Serie A campaigns.

Immobile scored Italy's goal in the 1-1 UEFA EURO 2024 draw against North Macedonia on 9 September.

On 25 July Pedro renewed his contract with Lazio until 2024 with an option for an extra year.

Atlético de Madrid 

Summer signings
In: César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Javi Galán (Celta), Santiago Mouriño (Racing Montevideo, loaned to Zaragoza), Çağlar Söyüncü (Leicester), Samu Omorodion (Granada, loaned to Alavés)
Out: Matt Doherty (released), Geoffrey Kondogbia (Marseille), Renan Lodi (Marseille), Manu Sánchez (Celta), Giuliano Simeone (Alavés, loan), Germán Valera (Real Zaragoza, loan), Victor Mollejo (Real Zaragoza, loan), Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano), Borja Garcés (Elche, loan), João Félix (Barcelona, loan), Yannick Carrasco (Al-Shabab)

Atlético de Madrid suffered their first defeat in La Liga this season on Saturday, going down 3-0 at Valencia. It was their heaviest defeat since a 4-0 loss at Bayern München on Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 Champions League.

Atlético had won two of their first three games, drawing the other. They recorded their biggest away league victory with a 7-0 win at Rayo Vallecano on 28 August.

Atlético de Madrid's four forwards have already scored in the league: Álvaro Morata (three goals), Memphis Depay (two), Antoine Griezmann and Ángel Correa.

Morata, Depay and Marcos Llorente have all been on the scoresheet in both wins, the other a 3-1 home success against Granada on 14 August.

Llorente has already scored more goals in La Liga in 2023/24 (two) than he did last season (one).

Depay scored five league goals in 2022/23, the first in the sixth round of matches. He has two in his first three appearances this season.

The win against Rayo was Griezmann's 200th with Atlético after 344 appearances. Only Juanfran (306), Koke (306), Diego Godín (340) and Saúl Ñíguez (341) have reached the milestone quicker.

Morata scored a hat-trick in Spain's 7-1 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying win against Georgia on Friday 8 September.

Griezmann converted a late penalty in France's 2-1 friendly defeat in Germany on 12 September.

Montenegro captain Stefan Savić scored in EURO 2024 qualifiers against Lithuania (2-2) on 7 September and Bulgaria (2-1) three days later.

José María Giménez was a second-half substitute on Saturday, his first appearance since breaking a tibia in pre-season.

Thomas Lemar was carried off on a stretcher at Valencia with a suspected Achilles tendon injury.

Rodrigo De Paul was replaced late on due to injury in Argentina's 2026 FIFA World Cup 3-0 qualifying win in Bolivia on 12 September and was absent at the weekend.

Depay is expected to be out until the end of September having suffered a right thigh injury in the first half against Rayo Vallecano.

Reinildo Mandava is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he picked up against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on 25 February.

Koke suffered a hamstring injury against Granada and is likely to be sidelined until the end of September.

Çağlar Söyüncü missed the weekend defeat with a groin injury suffered in Türkiye's 4-2 friendly defeat against Japan on 12 September.

Griezmann is among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on 30 October in Paris.