Salzburg vs Atlético de Madrid facts

Salzburg and Atlético de Madrid meet at the conclusion of the inaugural league phase of the UEFA Champions League, the second time in four seasons the sides have been paired in the final fixture before the knockout phase.

While Salzburg were eliminated on Matchday 7, when they went down 5-1 at Real Madrid to make it six defeats, and three points, for the campaign, Atleti came from behind to beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in Madrid and seal their place in the knockout phase.

Previous meetings

2020/21 Champions League group stage
Atlético 3-2 Salzburg
Salzburg 0-2 Atlético
Marcos Llorente's 29th-minute strike put Atleti in front on Matchday 2 but Dominik Szoboszlai (40) and a Felipe own goal (47) turned the match in Salzburg's favour only for a João Félix double (52, 85) to seal a home win.

Atletico secured second place in Group A at Salzburg's expense with a Matchday 6 win in Austria thanks to goals from Mario Hermoso (39) and Yannick Carrasco (86).

Form guide

Salzburg

Record vs Spanish clubs: W5 D4 L14 F19 A39
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W4 D0 L7

Salzburg's Matchday 7 defeat at Atlético's city rivals Real Madrid made it 14 defeats in 23 games against Spanish clubs.

Salzburg were drawn alongside Real Sociedad in last season's group stage, losing 0-2 at home on Matchday 2 before a 0-0 draw in Spain on Matchday 5.

The Austrian club reached the Champions League round of 16 for the first time in 2021/22 thanks to a 1-0 home defeat of Sevilla on Matchday 6. That is their only win in nine games against Liga opponents, home and away (D2 L6); they have lost three of the last four at home and five of the last seven (W2).

Having not featured in the Champions League group stage between 1994 and 2019, Salzburg are making their sixth successive appearance in the competition proper.

The Austrian side were fourth in Group D in 2023/24, picking up four points in a section that also included Real Sociedad, Inter Milan and Benfica.

A 2-1 Matchday 5 loss to Chelsea in 2022/23 ended the Austrian club's seven-match unbeaten home run in the Champions League (W4 D3). This season's losses to Brest (0-4), GNK Dinamo (0-2) and Paris Saint-Germain (0-3) have made it seven defeats in a row.

Salzburg started this season's Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round, beating Twente 2-1 at home before a 3-3 away draw to progress 5-4 on aggregate. They then overcame Dynamo Kyiv in the play-offs, winning 3-1 over two legs (2-0 a, 1-1 h).

The Austrian side have two wins and five defeats in their last seven home European games.

Salzburg had their run of ten successive Austrian Bundesliga titles ended by Sturm Graz in 2023/24, finishing two points behind.

Atlético de Madrid

Record vs Austrian clubs: W7 D1 L0 F19 A5
Away record vs Austrian clubs: W4 D0 L0

Atlético's 2020 victories against Salzburg are their last games against an Austrian club.

That made it four successive wins against teams from Austria, with 12 goals scored and only two conceded, since a 1-1 draw at home to SK Rapid Wien in the 1976/77 European Cup Winners' Cup first round second leg, a tie Atleti won 3-2 on aggregate; that is the only one of their eight games against Austrian sides they have not won.

Atleti's away record in Austria is four wins from four; they have scored nine goals and conceded only two, keeping clean sheets on each of their last two visits.

Atleti are making their 15th appearance in the Champions League proper and a 12th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013/14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Diego Simeone's side finished top of their section in 2023/24 and then ousted Inter Milan on penalties in the round of 16 (0-1 a, 2-1 h aet, 3-2 pens) before losing to Borussia Dortmund in the last eight (2-1 h, 2-4 a).

A 4-0 loss at Benfica on Matchday 2 this season – equalling Atlético's biggest Champions League defeat – made it one win and seven defeats in ten Champions League away games, but they have since won at Paris Saint-Germain (2-1) and Sparta Praha (6-0), the latter matching their biggest Champions League victory.

Atleti have now progressed to the knockout rounds in ten of their last 12 campaigns.

The Colchoneros were fourth in La Liga in 2023/24. It was their lowest league finish since 2011/12, when they were fifth.

Links and trivia

Axel Witsel scored twice as Standard Liège came from two goals down to beat Salzburg 3-2 in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg.

Has played in Spain:
Kamil Piatkowski (Granada 2023/24 loan)

Salzburg's Stefan Bajcetic is a Spain Under-21 international having been born and raised in Vigo, when his father Srdjan moved to Spain to play for Celta.

International team-mates:
Stefan Bajcetic & Pablo Barrios (Spain Under-21s)
Nicolás Capaldo & Julián Alvarez (Argentina Under-23)

Latest news

Salzburg

Matchday 7 was Salzburg's first competitive game of 2025, and a first since a 3-0 Austrian Bundesliga victory at home to Klagenfurt on 14 December.

That was only Salzburg's second win in their last nine games in all competitions (D2 L5) and one of only five in 17 matches (D4 L8).

It proved to be Pep Lijnders' last game in charge; he departed two days later, with Thomas Letsch named as his replacement on 18 December.

Salzburg have failed to score in ten of their last 21 games in all competitions.

Salzburg have lost four league games this season, one less than in the whole of 2023/24.

Letsch's first game in charge was a 6-0 friendly loss against Bayern München on 6 January; Salzburg subsequently went down 3-2 against Midtjylland on 15 January.

Karim Konaté tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee at Leverkusen on Matchday 5 and has not played since.

Maurits Kjærgaard suffered an ankle injury in a 0-0 draw at Wolfsberg on 27 October and has not played since after an operation.

Daouda Guindo missed Matchday 7 with a knee injury.

Kjærgaard signed a contract extension until 2028 on 20 December.

On 2 January Salzburg announced the arrival of striker Karim Onisiwo from Mainz on an 18th-month deal; the 32-year-old scored his first Salzburg goal against Midtjylland.

Atlético de Madrid

Atleti were held 1-1 at home by Villarreal on Saturday, Samuel Lino's second-half equaliser earning a point.

Atlético have earned 16 points from losing positions in La Liga this season, the most of any team in Europe's top five leagues.

On 18 January Atleti's run of 15 consecutive wins in all competitions, the longest in their history, was ended by a 1-0 loss at Leganés, Antoine Griezmann firing a last-minute penalty wide.

Diego Simeone's side had scored 39 goals in that winning run, conceding eight and keeping nine clean sheets.

Atleti have the best defensive record in La Liga with just 14 goals conceded.

Atlético finished the first half of the season top of La Liga with 44 points from 19 games (W13 D5 L1). They have won the title on the last two occasions they have led at the halfway point.

Atlético have lost just four of their 32 games in all competitions this season, the defeat at Leganés and Saturday's draw the only ones they have not won since a 1-0 Liga defeat at Real Betis on 27 October.

Julián Alvarez is Atleti's top scorer this campaign with 16 goals in all competitions, four more than Griezmann.

On 15 January, Atleti beat Elche 4-0 in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey with two goals from Alexander Sørloth, who has ten in all competitions this season.

José María Giménez played 90 minutes against Leverkusen, his first appearance since going off with a muscle issue in a 2-1 win at Barcelona on 21 December; he was on the bench on Saturday.

Javi Galán was substituted at half-time on Matchday 7 with an ankle injury and missed Saturday's draw.

Sørloth was taken off at half-time against Elche with a minor injury and has not played since, although he was an unused substitute against Villarreal.