´I believe´ – Atleti and Simeone confident of Champions League comeback

Diego Simeone has full trust that his Atletico Madrid players can overturn their one-goal deficit against Real Madrid in their Champions League last 16 second leg.

Julian Alvarez’s stunning strike cancelled out Rodrygo’s opener, only for another moment of individual quality from Brahim Diaz to seal a first-leg lead for Los Blancos.

And that defeat seemed to linger upon Atletico’s return to LaLiga action, with Simeone’s side falling to a shock 2-1 defeat to Getafe on Sunday to dent their title hopes.

But Atletico have shown their powers of recovery at this stage of the competition before, coming back from a one-goal deficit against Inter to advance to the quarter-finals last year.

Indeed, they have lost the first leg in six previous Champions League ties and have come back to progress from three, and Simeone is confident of another turnaround.

“I believe in my players, I trust this squad,” the Argentine told reporters on Tuesday.

“I absolutely understand the heart they have and I have no doubt that we will be looking to stay in the Champions League. Our objective is to play in the final.

“Football has different scenarios that happen during the game. We will go through difficult moments.

“The coolness, clarity and quality of the footballers will decide. The game is going to go that way.”

Opta’s data-led simulations hand Atletico a 28% chance of reaching the final eight, with only six sides in the competition given a lower probability.

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Atletico have only lost one of their last seven home games against Madrid in all competitions (W3 D3).

In home games against them in cup competitions, meanwhile, Atletico are unbeaten in the last five, winning four of them (D1).

Simeone, however, acknowledged that his team needed to maintain composure with a passionate home crowd driving the team on at the Metropolitano on Wednesday.

“Our people will push us, but the reality is what happens on the pitch. We’re not going to win just because of what happens in the stands,” Simeone said.

“We have to play a great game,” Simeone said. “I would ask the young players if they ever imagined playing in these matches, and surely they would say no.

“It is the most beautiful thing, the youth that is beginning to gain experience in these matches.”

Simeone said that his Real counterpart, Carlo Ancelotti, had similar ideas about the game, but the Italian was a better coach.

“The opposition’s characteristics, having players as vertical as Vinicius Junior and (Kylian) Mbappe, are to have that vertical game… We are a collective team that can alternate high play, lower play, with possession, without possession.

“I spent a lot of time in Italy. The experiences in Italian football may be similar… but it’s clear that Carlo Ancelotti is much better than me.”