As the draw approaches, Atlético de Madrid faces four potential rivals for the Champions League Round of 16: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or Celtic. Diego Simeone's team finished in fifth place in their group and now awaits a clash with teams in 11th (Real Madrid), 12th (Bayern Munich), 21st (Celtic), and 22nd (Manchester City) positions.

How Did Their Last Group Stage Match Against Salzburg End?

In their final group stage match, Atlético de Madrid cruised to a 4-1 win over Salzburg, with a goal from Giuliano Simeone early on and a brace from Antoine Griezmann. Simeone’s side was dominant from the start. In the 4th minute, Giuliano Simeone fired in a cross-goal strike, followed shortly by a Griezmann goal, assisted by Giuliano, in the 13th minute.

With a 2-0 lead, Atlético maintained control, although Salzburg had a few attempts. Despite Salzburg's attempts to bounce back, Atlético kept them in check. In injury time in the first half, Griezmann sealed the game with a third goal (0-3), putting the game out of reach.

The second half was calmer for Atlético, who, despite a few attempts from Salzburg, kept the scoreline intact. Marcos Llorente added a fourth goal on a counter-attack, and Salzburg only managed a consolation goal from Daghim to make it 1-4.

With this commanding victory, Atlético de Madrid secured their spot among Europe’s elite, but now they must gear up to face top-level opponents in the Round of 16, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, or Bayern Munich.