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Two months ago, very few would’ve given Atletico Madrid a dog’s chance against Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
However, Los Rojiblancos have been so impressive in recent weeks that even though they are considered underdogs in Tuesday’s game at the Etihad, they are not to be underestimated.
An eight-game unbeaten streak, coupled with a run of six wins on the trot in all competitions, means that Diego Simeone’s men have all the momentum on their side.
Having already beaten Manchester United in the previous round, who’s to say they can’t do the same against Pep Guardiola’s side?
A clash of styles
There’ll be a clash of styles when Atletico Madrid lock horns against Manchester City on Tuesday evening.
The Spanish giants are expected to once again sit back and play on the counter-attack. While other clubs have been fixated on playing ‘beautiful’ football, Diego Simeone has managed to sell the direct opposite to fans. The Argentine only focuses on winning and doesn’t really care about how it happens.
Against Manchester United, Atletico Madrid affirmed their status as the ultimate dark artistes, ceding possession to the Red Devils and hitting them when they least expected it.
Manchester City are clearly better than their neighbors and will be more purposeful in possession. However, Los Rojiblancos can hurt any team on their day.
Atletico Madrid aim to repeat heroics
For Diego Simeone’s side, the goal is simply to win. And they’ll do everything they can to achieve that, including deploying every alien tactic.
Atletico Madrid were flawless in the execution of their tactics against Manchester United in the Round of 16. They will be aiming to repeat those heroics against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Joao Felix is also currently in a rich vein of form, having scored seven goals in his last eight games.
Simeone said ahead of the game (as quoted by Marca):
"We all have pressure, but I think it is a matter of responsibility. I have no doubt that City have extraordinary players, maybe they have better players than us, but it's just two games."
"City and Bayern [Munich] might have a better chance [of going all the way], but last season Chelsea were the winners."
"United had different characteristics to City. City are more positional and dominate everywhere. We need to build on and improve everything we did a fortnight ago."
Manchester City are different from Manchester United, but Atletico Madrid’s approach is likely to be the same.
