Ancelotti wary of Atletico threat

Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti is wary of Atletico Madrid’s defensive strength and expects a difficult match at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday.

The Bundesliga champions were eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico in the semi-finals last term, the Spaniards going on to be beaten in the final by Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid.

Both Bayern and Atletico made winning starts to Group D on matchday one, and Ancelotti knows Diego Simeone’s men pose a real threat to his winning record since replacing Pep Guardiola.

“It has always been difficult against Atletico and I think it will be another difficult match on Wednesday. They are a very well organised team,” Ancelotti said at a news conference.

“We have been in good form and we have to keep it up against Atletico. Atletico have a very clear philosophy. They are very organised and have recorded some great results in recent years.

“It will be a very intense game, we are aware of that and we are looking forward to it. Atletico have a lot of exciting players. 

“Simeone is a good friend of mine. He is one of the best coaches around in the game. Right now the tendency in football is to play directly and on the counter, Atletico are an example of that. 

“It’s all about having effective possession. Possession is important because it allows you to control the game but you need to make the most of your possession, too.”

Mats Hummels is ready to feature against Atletico despite picking up a knock against Hamburg at the weekend, but Carlo Ancelotti has revealed Douglas Costa remains unavailable.

“Hummels has been training well and he is ready for the game against Atletico,” he added.

“Douglas Costa is still injured. He will undergo some tests on Wednesday and then resume individual training and hopefully return after the international break. We need him.”