Atletico Madrid face Bayern Munich at the Metropolitano Stadium on 3 November in the fourth round of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. Before the match, Diego Simeone spoke about Harry Kane, how he wants Atletico Madrid to approach the game, and Ademola Lookman.
Simeone on Kane
[GOAL] GOAL said Marca newspaper carried Diego Simeone's comments from his pre-match press conference. Simeone said: "I congratulate Kane on a well-deserved Ballon d'Or win. He is an amazing player, and I have always admired him. With his maturity and development over the years, he has learned how to find the best positions without straying far from goal."
Asked about the race for the Champions League title, he replied: "I do not know how far we will continue our journey, but I hope they will not ask me this question in every match."
How Atletico want to face Bayern
Simeone said: "We are facing a very strong and top-class opponent, and we will have to steer the match towards the path through which we believe we can hurt them."
He also said: "I would like us to attack for all 80 minutes, leave them the remaining ten minutes, and score a goal after 20 passes, just as we did against Levante. But the reality is different, as we will be facing a strong and capable team, and we will have to deal with difficult and harsh moments, and try to escape the pressure they are good at applying."
The week and the fans
Turning to the week ahead, he explained: "We have already started the week with the clash against Levante, in which we achieved victory, and it continues now with the Bayern Munich match, during which we need our fans, as they have always been, strong and close to the players."
Simeone on Lookman
On Ademola Lookman, he commented: "I do not know whether he is playing in a position he does not want. He did not start the season in the way he had hoped, but the same thing happened with Julian Alvarez last season, as he went through a difficult period and managed to overcome it, just as Antoine Griezmann went through a period during which he was not scoring goals, but he also overcame it."
Simeone said: "Lookman is the player who takes on the most one-on-one duels in the final attacking third, and I trust him a great deal. I do not want him to fall into a state of frustration, as this is part of life and football."
He added: "Lookman must continue working until the day comes when he starts scoring and creating goals. We hope this is the path he will be able to follow."
