Diego Simeone identifies two key Man City men that Atletico Madrid will have to stop

Diego Simeone said Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling will ‘wake him up’ ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League quarter-final with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The Argentine is hoping for a similar result to the one he achieved in Manchester just a few weeks ago, when the Spanish champions dumped Manchester United out of the competition.

City, however are an altogether different proposition, and the Atletico manager said he is not just fearful of what the Sky Blues can do with the ball, but also how quickly they regain possession.

Speaking in Monday’s pre-match press conference, Simeone said: “What I like most about teams that play well like City is the strength and effort they put in to win the ball back and continue to attack.

“They are lovely to watch playing. They continue evolving. Obviously what wakes me up is De Bruyne and Sterling. They are always active and they never leave a ball. The work ethic is additional and all managers want this.

Atletico aren’t a side synonymous with taking taking risks in games, and Simeone was asked if he plans to approach the game in his usually conservative manner.

“I think knockout games, we are used to them. It’s a long-form game and within that you will propose what you need in each moment,” he told reporters.

“They’re a tough opponent with a lot of tools, who can hit you on the counter, press high, build up from the back, cross and flood the box with players. It’s nice to watch and tomorrow we’ll compete.”

Having eliminated United from the Champions League, the Atletico manager was also quizzed on how different the threats posed by each Manchester side are.

“Manchester United have different characteristics,” Simone explained. “They were quicker and more direct. City are more positional and they manage things well all over the pitch. We have to improve the things we did well a few weeks ago.”