Vidal: Atletico similar to Juventus

Arturo Vidal believes Atletico Madrid are the toughest opponents Bayern Munich could have faced in the semi-finals of the Champions League and likened Diego Simeone’s men to former club Juventus.

Bayern needed extra time to see off Serie A champions Juve in the round of 16, before coming through a tough quarter-final tie against Benfica.

Atleti knocked out holders and favourites Barcelona to set up a tie with Bundesliga champions Bayern, and Vidal is expecting another tricky encounter against the Liga high-flyers.

“Atletico are the toughest opponent we could get in the semi-finals. We saw that against Barcelona. They are a good team and physically strong. It will be a very complicated tie, but we hope to make it to the final,” Vidal was quoted as saying by Marca.

“I think our style of play could benefit them. They want to hit their opponents on the break. We have to be cautious and cannot allow them any space. Atletico are quite similar to Juventus and they made life very hard for us.

“We cannot afford to take them lightly. Atletico are very brave and aggressive. It will be a physical tie.

“[Diego] Simeone is one of the best coaches in the world. He has been doing very well at Atletico. He guided them to a Liga title and the Champions League final.”

The first leg will take place at the Vicente Calderon on April 27, with the return at the Allianz Arena scheduled for May 3.