Diego Pablo Simeone is not pretending this is a routine Champions League night. Ahead of Atlético Madrid vs Bayern München at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday, 3 November, at 21:00 hours, he praised Harry Kane as an incredible player and said Atlético would need their people stronger and closer to the team against a Bayern side that will create hard moments.
Simeone's message before Bayern
Simeone's comments were built on respect for the opponent and on resistance to it. He said Kane has scored goals for years, but also stressed the forward's work without the ball and his willingness to help the team get out from the back. He added that the tie is different because of Bayern's category and the exposure it brings.
That is backed up by the numbers. Kane has 4 goals and 6 assists in 8 Bundesliga appearances, and 4 goals and 2 assists in 3 Champions League appearances. Bayern are also top of the Bundesliga, so this is not a side arriving in Madrid under any sort of domestic pressure.
Baena's form and Bayern's threat
Alejandro Baena is giving Atlético another reason to be confident. He said this is the happiest period of his career at the club, and his output explains why, with 5 goals and 3 assists in 11 LaLiga matches. He has also played in 3 European matches and has 1 assist.
Baena called the tie a beautiful challenge and said Atlético can see how far they can go in this Champions League. The mood is helped by Atlético's five straight league wins, but Bayern still travel with a dangerous attack even if Serge Gnabry, Ismael Saibari and Michael Olise remain injury concerns. Aaron Danks said Bayern will still have strength and depth, and will be ready for the challenge on Tuesday.
The useful part for Atlético is that they do not need to treat this as a measuring stick only in theory. The match is set, the crowd should be behind them, and the first real answer comes at the Metropolitano on Tuesday night.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
