- Title: Atletico Madrid prepare to face their city rivals Real in Champions League final
- Date: 21st May 2016
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MAY 21, 2016) (REUTERS) MEDIA WATCHING ATLETICO MADRID TRAINING SESSION CLOSE OF OFFICIAL UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BALLS ON PITCH ATLETICO PLAYERS TRAINING WITH THE BALL DEFENDER FILIPE LUIS PLAYING WITH THE BALL PLAYERS AND COACHING STAFF TALKING BEFORE TRAINING ATLETICO MADRID COACH DIEGO SIMEONE TALKING TO ASSISTANT COACH GERMAN BURGOS (LEFT) PLAYERS WARMING UP MIDFIELDER SAUL NIGUEZ WARMING UP FORWARD FERNANDO TORRES WARMING UP DEFENDER DIEGO GODIN AND FORWARD ANTOINE GRIEZMANN TALKING DURING TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF MEDIA WATCHING TRAINING LUIS AND MIDFIELDER TIAGO TRAINING WITH THE BALL GODIN RECEIVING AND KICKING BALL GOALKEEPER JAN OBLAK STRETCHING SIMEONE TALKING TO PLAYERS SIMEONE TALKING / GRIEZMANN LISTENING SIMEONE ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID COACH, DIEGO SIMEONE, SAYING: "Working, working, I think the days go by faster. Working and looking for alternatives in order to get to the match in the best way possible and here everything is going as normal. Our aim for the 28th (of May) is to arrive to a game with high expectations as we would normally do in any other game." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID COACH, DIEGO SIMEONE, SAYING: "I imagine a rival that will play in a very similar way as they did against Manchester City. Holding back. Casemiro's presence gives them a lot of defensive power, and playing counter-attack as they have been doing especially in the Champions (League), not in La Liga because the rivals are different." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS SIMEONE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE MIDFIELDER YANNICK CARRASCO DURING TRAINING MATCH TORRES SPRINTING MIDFIELDER KOKE PLAYING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID MIDFIELDER, KOKE, SAYING: "Firstly, we have to defend well, take care of absolutely every detail and try to take advantage of all of their mistakes. We know that in these kind of games few mistakes are made so when they happen, we have to take advantage of them." TRAINING MATCH IN PROGRESS GRIEZMANN DURING TRAINING MATCH NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) ATLETICO MADRID FORWARD, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, SAYING: "The Champions League final is both a dream and an objective so I am very very happy and we are very well prepared. We have had several weeks to prepare and, in regards to the pressure we might be feeling, I just work hard every day, I don't think too much about it and that keeps me going forward." OBLAK DURING TRAINING MATCH OBLAK ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATLETICO MADRID GOALKEEPER, JAN OBLAK, SAYING: "The final is another game and we know that it will be difficult to keep a clean sheet, but we are going to do everything like we always do." GODIN RECEIVING AND PASSING BALL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO MADRID FULL BACK, DIEGO GODIN, SAYING: "We only think about where we stand today, it's a very thrilling and great moment. After that final (2014 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid), all my team mates, including myself have always dreamt about playing another final, being aware of the difficulties of a Champions League final. This is why we have the hope, the confidence and the humility we have always had. We know it's a great chance to write a new page in Atletico Madrid's history." MIDFIELDER AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ TRAINING SIMEONE WATCHING TRAINING SESSION SAUL RECEIVING AND PASSING BALL CAMERAMAN FILMING TRAINING TRAINING IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 5th June 2016 16:42
- Keywords: Atletico Madrid Champions League Real Madrid Diego Simeone Koke Antoine Griezmann Jan Oblak Diego Godin
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IR1XRZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said on Saturday (May 21) that his team were preparing for the Champions League final as they would for any other match.
Atletico will face their bitter city rivals Real Madrid in Milan's San Siro stadium on May 28th, a repeat of the 2014 encounter which saw Real come from 1-0 down to claim a 4-1 victory.
"Working, working, I think the days go by faster. Working and looking for alternatives in order to get to the match in the best way possible and here everything is going as normal. Our aim for the 28th (of May) is to arrive to a game with high expectations as we would normally do in any other game," Simeone told reporters during an official UEFA open media day at Atletico's training ground.
Atletico's coach said he anticipated a counter-attacking display from Real.
"I imagine a rival that will play in a very similar way as they did against Manchester City. Holding back. Casemiro's presence gives them a lot of defensive power, and playing counter-attack as they have been doing especially in the Champions (League), not in La Liga because the rivals are different," he said.
Spanish midfielder Koke said Atletico's strategy would be to play tight at the back and try to pounce on any mistakes made by Real Madrid.
"Firstly, we have to defend well, take care of absolutely every detail and try to take advantage of all of their mistakes. We know that in these kind of games few mistakes are made so when they happen, we have to take advantage of them," he said.
Striker Antoine Griezmann told reporters that it would be a dream come true to feature in the final and said he was not fazed by the pressure of the occasion.
"The Champions League final is both a dream and an objective so I am very very happy and we are very well prepared. We have had several weeks to prepare and, in regards to the pressure we might be feeling, I just work hard every day, I don't think too much about it and that keeps me going forward."
En route to the final, Atletico had to defeat PSV Eindhoven, holders FC Barcelona and German champions Bayern Munich.
When asked about the importance of the team's defence in these kind of games, goalkeeper Jan Oblak said:
"The final is another game and we know that it will be difficult to keep a clean sheet, but we are going to do everything like we always do".
In the 2014 final, Atletico were just seconds away from winning the trophy when Real defender Sergio Ramos scored an equaliser in stoppage time.
The match ended a 4-1 win for Real after extra time and sealed the awaited 'Decima' for Los Blancos.
Uruguayan full back Diego Godin said they must learn from that experience to make history for Atletico.
"We only think about where we stand today, it's a very thrilling and great moment," said Godin, adding "After that final, all my team mates, including myself have always dreamt about playing another final, being aware of the difficulties of a Champions League final. This is why we have the hope, the confidence and the humility we have always had. We know it's a great chance to write a new page in Atletico Madrid's history." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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