The match which kicks off at 12:00 (UK) on Sunday 9 August, is available to watch live for all CITY+ subscribers around the world, except in Spain and South Korea.
Despite being two of the most successful Clubs in Europe, we have only met twice in Europe – at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in 2021/22 when we won 1-0 at the Etihad and drew 0-0 in Madrid.
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But there are links between the two Club including six men’s players who have worn sky blue in Manchester and the red and white stripes of Atletico.
Kiki Musampa (Atleti 2002-05, City 2005-06)
Nicknamed ‘Chris’ by City fans, Musampa arrived in Manchester in January 2005 on loan after two-and-a-half years in the Spanish capital where he made 34 appearances.
He enjoyed his first few months, scoring a delightful late winner against Liverpool and getting a goal on our final day against Middlesbrough as we narrowly missed out on European qualification.
His loan was extended for a further season and in total the Dutchman featured 45 times for the Blues before moving to Trabzonspor.
Martin Petrov (Atleti 2005-07, City 2007-10)
The electric Bulgarian winger moved to Madrid in 2005 after lighting up the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.
He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in his second season, but after a full recovery he became a part of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s exciting City side.
In total, Petrov spent three seasons at the Etihad Stadium, making 72 appearances and scoring 12 times before making the short trip to Bolton.
Sergio Aguero (Atleti 2006-11, 2011-21)
A player that needs no introduction to City fans after scoring a Club-record 260 times for the Club and one of the greatest goals in Premier League history.
The Argentine had scored 101 times in 234 appearances for Atleti, winning the UEFA Europa League and Super Cup when Roberto Mancini brought him to Manchester.
He never looked back from two goals on his debut against Swansea and won 14 trophies for the Blues including the unforgettable injury-time strike against QPR to land the 2011/12 Premier League.
Stefan SaviC (City 2011-12, Atleti 2015-24)
A symbol of Diego Simeone’s fearsome side for a decade, the Montenegrin was a hero for the Spanish Club, helping them to a La Liga title and Europa League.
He joined City as a 20-year-old and made 20 appearances as we won the Premier League title.
But after starting the 2012 Community Shield victory, he moved to Fiorentina before finding himself at home in the Spanish capital.
Rodri (Atleti 2018-19, City 2019-)
The midfielder rivals Aguero for scoring one of the greatest goals in our history when his strike earned a 1-0 win over Inter to win the 2023 Champions League.
Rodri had one season with Atleti before moving to City where he was won 13 trophies and counting, including four Premier League titles.
In 2024, he became the first City player to win the Ballon d’Or and is generally considered the best holding midfielder in world football.
JuliAn Alvarez (City 2022-24, Atletico 2024-)
‘La Arana’ arrived from River Plate in 2022 and enjoyed three seasons at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 36 times in 103 appearances.
Having won the Copa Libertadores and Argentinian title, he quickly added the ‘Big Five’ with City before then winning the World Cup, all before the age of 24.
He moved to Atleti where he has continued to grow and become one of the best striker in the world with 49 goals from 66 appearances so far.
