Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone wants his side to be relentless and go after Manchester United at Old Trafford in their Champions League last 16 second leg clash on Tuesday as they bid to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Atletico created many chances in the first leg last month, but were held to a 1-1 draw in Madrid as United managed to score with their only shot on target.
“It is going to be an intense game in a fantastic stadium,” Simeone told a news conference on Monday.
“We will have to figure out the best way to play them as the game evolves. With a game like this… the strategy can alternate. We have to generate plays and control the actions, be aggressive and apply the intense pressure that we do best.”
United will hope Cristiano Ronaldo can reproduce his form from the weekend when he scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, while Simeone places his faith in Atletico’s young Portuguese forward Joao Felix who has five goals in his last five games in all competitions.
“He is playing great, with joy and enthusiasm,” the Argentine coach said.
“Felix has been very important as an individual player but also in his work at the collective level, which is what matters. He has what our team needs.”
Simeone’s side have experience of winning matches against English opposition in the past, such as against Liverpool and Chelsea, but the coach insists those occasions will not have an influence on Tuesday’s game.
“Every game is different. It is true that we played and won against Premier League clubs at their stadiums in the past, but we know the power and importance of the rival (team) in front of their fans and the atmosphere at their stadium,” he said.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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