The difference between Josep Guardiola and Diego Simeone’s style may be too great, but the clash between the two means that tonight’s match between Manchester City and its guest Atletico Madrid will be one of the great matches in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Manchester City, the leaders of the English Premier League, have not won the continental championship before, and have repeatedly stumbled in the playoffs, although Guardiola presents with the team one of the best football levels in the world.
Atlético de Madrid faced not being crowned with the “With Ears” Cup, as it lost two painful finals against its traditional rivals Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016, but also received a lot of praise, albeit because of the defensive team’s organization and tactical discipline.
“Simeone is the master of the playoffs,” Guardiola told Manchester City’s official website.
The “philosopher” coach added that “there are several matches during the match, and he deals with different types of matches perfectly.”
Atlético de Madrid beat Manchester City’s neighbor, Manchester City, in the final price with a clean goal at Old Trafford, to win the aggregate of the two legs, 2-1.
But the team’s dominance in the first leg showed that they can take the initiative when they want to with strikers like Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix, so City cannot take victory for granted.
“We know it is one of the strongest teams in the Champions League, but I think we have the quality and the strength to play this match against Man City, and we will have our chances to cross them,” Atletico Madrid defender Stefan Savic said.
Meanwhile, local Manchester City rival Liverpool – who is seeking to crown 4 titles this season – traveled to Benfica.
Defender Joe Gomez said, “We are in the place we want, fighting for all championships, we know it will be a great start, and we hope to succeed in it.”
The second leg matches for the quarter-finals will be held next week, with the final to be held on May 28 in Paris, after it was moved from St. Petersburg, Russia.
