Atletico Madrid have travelled to England for the second time in a matter of weeks as they meet Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Having already knocked out Manchester United 2-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, Diego Simeone’s side will now attempt to take out the more well-rounded Manchester City.
Of course, that means a clash with Pep Guardiola. Both managers have enjoyed incredible success but on the face of it represent a clash of footballing styles, which has been focused on by the media in the build-up to the match.
In particular in England, many alluded to Atletico Madrid’s propensity to use underhand tactics and a conservative style to get past Manchester United. However when asked what he thought of Atleti’s style in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola contradicted the popular narrative.
“Having watched Atletico Madrid, some people have some incorrect perceptions [about them]. They play more offensively than people say. They are very offensive. What happens is that they like to be safe.”
“They don’t take risks. They know the movements of the team, it depends on where the ball is. The final minutes, the start of the second half, they are very good at interpreting every moment of the match.”
Mundo Deportivo carried the quotes, in which Guardiola showed a frustration at the attempts to get a critical soundbite out of him.
“I’m not going to get into that stupid debate. Everyone is going to try and win the match. If he wins it will be the right way and if we win it, it will be the right way.”
