Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
Both teams are coming off opening-day defeats and are now under pressure to earn a result. Seattle Sounders FC were narrowly beaten in their first outing, but will now benefit from playing at home. Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, suffered a heavy loss to Paris Saint-Germain and will be highly motivated to recover from that poor start.
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC lost 1:2 to Botafogo in the opening round, despite producing a solid performance and outperforming their opponents in xG (2.20–0.91). The team have found the net in ten of their last twelve matches and have lost just once in their past nineteen home games. Key contributors include Albert Rusnák, Daniel Musovski and Jesús Ferreira, who have combined for twenty goal involvements (13+7) in Major League Soccer.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid were convincingly beaten 0:4 by Paris Saint-Germain. They allowed too many opportunities defensively and created just 0.89 xG going forward. However, that performance came against the UEFA Champions League title holders, who have been dominant — the upcoming match against Seattle Sounders FC is unlikely to pose the same level of challenge. Before the Club World Cup, Atlético Madrid scored in six of their nine La Liga fixtures. Still, their defence showed vulnerability, committing seven key errors in that span, and the absence of Clément Lenglet through suspension only adds to their issues at the back.
Seattle Sounders FC vs Atlético Madrid Prediction
Seattle Sounders FC are a strong home side and will look to capitalise on the visitors’ defensive shortcomings — they seldom fail to score on their own pitch. That said, Atlético Madrid are expected to respond positively in their second leg and should also manage to get on the scoresheet.
