Football
9y

Diego Simeone says Atletico can't be rattled by Leverkusen's pressure

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says his team must not again be knocking off kilter by their opponents' high-intensity pressing game in Tuesday's Champions League last 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer were much the better team in last month's first game, with Roger Schmidt's side being full value for their 1-0 victory with an impressive tactical and physical performance against last year's finalists Atletico.

The Colchoneros coach told his pregame news conference at the Estadio Vicente Calderon that his players must deal better with Bayer's pressing game if they were to progress to the last eight.

"We must be able to deal with their pressing of the ball, and quickly regain the ball ourselves when it is lost," Simeone said.

"That is the key to have spaces up front. They are a team who play very well on second balls, who can stop you coming out from the back. That is what happened to us in the first half there. We could not get past their first pressure."

Atletico's defeat in Germany is part of a run of six games in which Simeone's team have won just once, while scoring just four times. The Argentine coach denied that his team were experiencing a physical dip, and predicted their luck would soon change in front of goal.

"In the game against Valencia, the team showed good intensity for 60-70 minutes, and Tiago hit the bar from close in," he said.

"Against Espanyol you did not see they were playing with 10 for the second half, their goalkeeper was man of the match. These things happen in football. Sometimes the ball hits the keeper and goes in, sometimes it does not. We must keep working, keep our heads clear, be patient and have our strategy."

Leverkusen travel to the Spanish capital on a five-match winning run, having kept five successive clean sheets. Simeone's comments showed how he admires the efficiency with which Schmidt's side can play.

"Bayer are a very vertical team, little possession of the ball, very direct, that is their best virtue as a team," he said.

"Their three up front are very fast, and winning the second balls is what helps them use this pace in the final third.

"We know we need to be able to counter these parts of the game, which we could not do in the first half in Germany."

Atletico are without key duo Tiago and Diego Godin, with the midfielder and centre-half both suspended for the return after picking up red and yellow cards respectively in the first game.

Left-back Guilherme Siqueira and midfielder Saul Niguez are also absent from Atletico's 18-man squad list for the game, meaning the main selection issues is whether Fernando Torres will keep his place up front, or Mario Mandzukic return to the team after being benched recently for reported disciplinary reasons.

"I have not spoken with players yet about team," Simeone said. "First I will speak with them at midday and they will know who plays."

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