Atletico Madrid are aiming to secure their first piece of silverware this week since winning La Liga in 2021. Victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona/Osasuna would see them pick up the Spanish Super Cup for the first time in 10 years, and Diego Simeone will be desperate for this to be the case.
Atleti should go into the match with confidence, given that they are the only side to have beaten Real Madrid across all competitions this season (3-1 at the Metropolitano). However, head coach Diego Simeone believes that match in September will have no bearing on Wednesday’s showdown in Riyadh, as per Diario AS.
“In that match there were Real Madrid players who were unavailable, and tomorrow they will raise their structure as a team. That will increase their level of play.
“The game was three months ago. It was another game, at another time. We’ll play the game we think we have to play right now this season.”
Being in Riyadh, Simeone was asked about the possibility of Atleti players being snapped up by clubs in Saudi Arabia, both this month and during the summer. However, the Argentine appeared to be relaxed on the situation.
“In principle, no (I’m not worried about this), but there’s always the possibility. There are always players who can be seduced. If it happens, we’ll see what’s best for the club, the team and the player.”
Simeone and his Atletico Madrid players will be fully focused on the task at hand on Wednesday, and victory over their local rivals would leave them in an excellent position to win the first trophy of the season in Spanish football.