- Title: Simeone says Atletico are out to hurt Bayern
- Date: 5th December 2016
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (DECEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH ATLETICO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO PLAYER, SAUL NIGUEZ, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL GERMAN TRANSLATION): "This is of course not the same game as last year. It was the Champions League semi-final as I already said, every time I play in the Champions League I obviously want to do really well. These are the best teams playing in the league and I am highly motivated to play such games." VARIOUS OF REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO PLAYER, SAUL NIGUEZ, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL GERMAN TRANSLATION): "I believe that every player does as well as he possibly can. Of course there is a competition within the team but we all want the title." VARIOUS OF PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO COACH, DIEGO SIMEONE, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL GERMAN TRANSLATION): "I just think that the German teams and in particular Bayern Munich always played against the best teams in Europe, also against us, Atletico Madrid. This put us into difficulties of course. They are a great opponent. I have always said that they show consistency, also with the national team. You can see the work put into it over the years which is why they have achieved what they achieved. You can see the continuity." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATLETICO COACH, DIEGO SIMEONE, SAYING (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL GERMAN TRANSLATION): "To be honest, we have been playing a certain way for years and we know the characteristics of our opponents. We will of course try to hurt our opponent. We will continue to try and analyse it and see how we can hurt them tomorrow. We'll see tomorrow." VARIOUS OF ATLETICO TRAINING
- Embargoed: 20th December 2016 19:09
- Keywords: soccer champions league Atletico Spain Bayern Munich
- Location: MUNICH, GERMANY
- City: MUNICH, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BLWW8V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Atletico Madrid are treating Tuesday's (December 6) Champions League game at Bayern Munich as a very important challenge even though the two teams have already qualified for the round of 16.
The Spanish outfit, who beat Bayern 1-0 in Madrid in their first meeting earlier in the year, are the only side to have won all five games in this season's competition and have clinched top spot in Group D.
Despite already winning the group, Atletico coach Diego Simeone said there would be no letup in the intensity of his players in the Allianz Arena.
"We know the characteristics of our opponents. We will of course try to hurt our opponent. We will continue to try and analyse it and see how we can hurt them tomorrow. We'll see tomorrow," he said.
Simeone admitted he was an admirer of German soccer.
"I just think that the German teams and in particular Bayern Munich always played against the best teams in Europe, also against us, Atletico Madrid. This put us into difficulties of course. They are a great opponent. I have always said that they show consistency, also with the national team. You can see the work put into it over the years which is why they have achieved what they achieved. You can see the continuity," he said.
Bayern dominated domestic competition in their three seasons under former coach Pep Guardiola but did not win the Champions League, something they are aiming to do with his successor Carlo Ancelotti.
Atletico drew 0-0 at home to Espanyol in La Liga at the weekend and missed the chance to reduce the nine-point deficit to leaders Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 at Barcelona.
Simeone's team did keep a clean sheet for a fourth consecutive game and the Argentine coach said much of the credit belongs to their Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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