Cristiano Ronaldo
Ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash this Saturday, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has stated that his side is aware of how they need to play in order to defeat local rivals Real Madrid.
Madrid are aiming to win the prestigious trophy for the tenth time in the history of the club, whilst Atleti, on the other hand have never lifted the silverware.
And Simeone, whose impact has been highly felt in the club, believes his players know how they need to play in order to succeed - like they did in the Europa League some years ago.
"We responded well in the Europa League a year and a half ago, if I remember rightly. We still have the same humility, the same group ethic," the scrupulous manager said
"From the strikers right through to the goalkeeper, the team is aware of how we need to play in order to succeed, in order to highlight our strengths and hide our weaknesses − because we do have weaknesses, we just hope not to show them."
Despite the local rivalry between Real and Atletico, Simeone believes that Los Blancos and his team are complete opposites.
"It's a historic rivalry. It's great, both in terms of the matches themselves and the fact that in one city you have such a powerful team as Real Madrid and a battling team such as Atletico Madrid.
"The idiosyncrasies of the clubs couldn't be more different, possibly from a social perspective as well. Each team uses the tools it has at its disposal and it's a great rivalry, no matter which team you support."