Simeone Aims High as Atletico Madrid Welcomes Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has set his sights on leading the team to the Champions League final as they prepare to host Bayer Leverkusen, who are on an 11-match winning streak.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has set his sights on leading the team to the Champions League final, with the Argentine boss eager to build on last season's quarter-final appearance. Simeone's team will face Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, and the manager is confident that his side can maintain their good form and make a deep run in the competition.

Simeone acknowledged that Atletico Madrid have a history of falling just short in the Champions League, having reached three finals without lifting the trophy. The team suffered defeats to Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016, both under Simeone's leadership. Despite this, the manager remains optimistic about his team's chances this season.

Atletico Madrid is gearing up to host high-flying Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently on an impressive 11-match winning streak across all competitions. In contrast, Atletico Madrid's own 15-match winning streak was recently snapped by a 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Leganes on Saturday. With only two Champions League matches remaining in the new league phase, the stakes are high, and the top eight teams will qualify automatically for the last 16.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone emphasized the importance of the upcoming match against Leverkusen, stating, “We will compete with our goal in mind. The club has never won this Champions League, and our objective is to reach that final, which is so desired and cherished by us.” The teams that finish between ninth and 24th place will compete in two-legged knockout playoffs to secure their spot in the last 16.

Ole, ole, ole, Cholo Simeone 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/pzkTmD1esG

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 20, 2025

Bayer Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, currently sits fourth in the Champions League standings with 13 points from six games, while Atletico Madrid is 11th, just a point behind Leverkusen. Simeone praised Alonso's work, saying, “Xabi is doing an excellent job, as he showed last season and he is on track to repeat it. He has a reference for how he saw football from the centre of the pitch, which is where it is best seen.” Simeone also acknowledged Alonso's experience playing under great coaches, adding, “He had great coaches (as a player). We will have to take the game in a direction where we think we can do the damage on Tuesday.”

Following the match against Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid will travel to Austria on January 29 to face Salzburg in their next Champions League fixture.