Man City picked up a superb 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the 1st leg of their UCL clash and after that game, Diego Simeone got a lot of slack for his usual but boring defensive tactics.
Atletico Madrid, like any other big match, chose to sit back and defend all throughout the 90 minutes but City still somehow managed to find a way through. That one goal would have been a dagger to the heart of Simeone but since there are no away goals rule, he will not be too aggrieved.
Now that Atleti are trailing in this two-legged tie, many pundits have predicted that they will go on the front foot in the 2nd leg but if Simeone’s latest statement is anything to go by then nothing much is going to change at the Wanda Metropolitano.
“I always put myself in the place of the coaches I compete against,” Simeone said in a news conference on Tuesday, when asked about Atletico’s first leg approach, as quoted by ESPN.
“There are different ways of expressing yourself. Opinions from journalists, ex-players, people who haven’t played for a long time and want to say something different… Words are free.
“Everyone can have an opinion. Everybody has their own way of doing things and I choose mine, which is to always, always, always respect my colleagues.
“People outside can say what they want, but we have a plan and we’ll try to execute it at the Wanda.
“Everyone has his philosophy of play. I really like how Manchester City play, and I love how Atletico Madrid play, with passion and enthusiasm and grit. I love the two styles.”
Atletico Madrid to play the same way they also do:
Diego Simeone has more or less made it clear that he is not going to alter his tactics even for the 2nd leg meaning Atletico Madrid will rely on pure counter-attacking football.
For the first time under Diego Simeone, Atlético had ZERO shots in a game 😬 pic.twitter.com/oKrqkxPz7h
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 5, 2022
Since there are no away goals rule, the Spanish side have no incentive to take the initiative on Wednesday. They will be more than happy to keep the scoreline at 1-0 until at least halftime and then try and score on the counter.
This is not the first time Diego Simeone has received criticism for his style but the talks have never bothered him and neither will it affect him in the second leg.
Against a toothless Manchester United side in the previous round, Atletico Madrid played with a low block so one can easily imagine how they are going to set up against one of the best attacking sides in world football.
