Simeone urges Atlético Madrid to stand firm against Bayern and praises Harry Kane

Diego Simeone urged Atlético Madrid’s players to stand firm and find solutions against Bayern Munich ahead of their meeting on Tuesday in the fourth round of the Champions League. Atlético host the match, while Bayern have five points and sit fourteenth, compared with Atlético’s four points in fifteenth place.

The Atlético coach praised Bayern striker Harry Kane, describing him as an exceptional player and commending his development and ability to score goals and support the team. He also called Kane a positive role model for young players, for the example he sets through hard work.

Simeone said he wanted his team to attack for most of the match while continuing to press and exchange passes, citing Atlético’s most recent goal against Levante, which came after 20 consecutive passes. He warned of Bayern’s high press and their speed in winning the ball back, stressing that his players would need to handle difficult moments.

Simeone called on Atlético fans to support the players at the Metropolitano. He welcomed the Champions League final being held at the stadium, but said the team focuses on one match at a time, and also spoke about the difficulty of competing in the tournament. On striker Ademola Lookman, he noted that he had not started the season as he wanted, citing difficult spells that Julián Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann had overcome.