Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has issued a stern warning to his players about Manchester United ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash against the English side.
Opportunity
As their struggles in the Premier League persist, Michael Carrick and his players have a golden chance to make things right and begin the journey to get back on track when they face Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday.
United suffered another disappointing result on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
Bryan Mbeumo’s 73rd-minute strike was cancelled out by Dominic Solanke, who headed past Senne Lammens in stoppage time to salvage a point for his side.
Pressure is mounting on Carrick and United to respond accordingly, and there is little room for another setback against Atletico.
While United are widely seen as the underdogs, Simeone does not share the same view and believes the 20-time English champions are a tricky opponent that his players must be fully alert to.
Simeone’s warning
Simeone told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday [as quoted by ESPN], “We face an opponent that applies intense pressure in your half, closing you down quickly, and has players with speed.”
“Despite their recent results, including a lot of draws, they are still creating the kind of danger that they did last year. They’re a strong team.”
Atletico star David Hancko added, “Last year in the Premier League, which is the best league in the world, they had a great season.”
“There are plenty of positives, even if they haven’t started well. They have great players and are undoubtedly a giant. We’ll have to play at 100% to win.”
Atletico are in good form, having won four on the spin in La Liga, including beating city rivals Real Madrid.
United, meanwhile, have won only one of their six Premier League fixtures this season and have yet to record a clean sheet against English opponents. They did, however, defeat Sabah FK in their Champions League opener.
The contest kicks off at 8 pm.
Featured image Aitor Alcalde via Getty Images
