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Atlético de Madrid coach Diego Simeone is confident that Luis Suárez will make things difficult for Chelsea in Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg despite his recent scoring drought in Europe’s top competition .
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Suárez has scored 16 goals in his debut season with Atlético to propel them to the top of the league, but has yet to find the net in four Champions League games for the club.
In his four previous seasons with Barcelona, he only scored 10 goals in the Champions League, while he has not scored in an away game in the competition since September 2015.
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“Luis generates fear in the rivals no matter what competition it is,” Simeone said at a press conference before Tuesday’s game, transferred from Atlético’s Wanda Metropolitano to Romania due to the ban on arrivals to Spain from Great Britain to control the COVID-19 infections.
“He has skills and qualities that attract a lot of attention from any opponent. We will talk about his problems scoring away from home when we go to London, but tomorrow is a home game for us.”
play1: 04Suarez attributes success to ‘stubborn’ mentality
Luis Suárez, from Atlético de Madrid, explains the mentality that has made him one of the best forwards in the world.
Suarez, in an exclusive interview with ESPN last week, said he still feels like he can compete at the championship level.
“I still feel like I’m enjoying this moment that I’m in today, in the elite of soccer,” Suárez told ESPN, at an event organized by Puma. “Being at Atlético, you are in the elite of football. Some people did not believe that I could still be at this level. I have the same illusion.
“I hope that this year, next year and for many years to come, I will keep competing and giving my best, until you realize that you have come as far as you can. But no one will get rid of me. I will decide. when I go. “
Simeone praised his opponent Thomas Tuchel, who has led Chelsea to five wins and two draws in all competitions since succeeding Frank Lampard in January.
“We will face a team with a coach who has managed to make all the teams he has taken charge of play attractive football. He has come to a club that has a lot of economic power and that always makes good signings,” he said. saying.
“This season they have signed some excellent young players and since Tuchel arrived they have improved their results a lot.
“But their squad speaks for itself, just look at the quality of their three goalkeepers, that shows their power, and their attacking players could get into any team in the world.”
Simeone’s team landed in the Romanian capital sore from a surprise 2-0 home loss to Levante, which cut their lead at the top of La Liga to three points and left them with a win in their last four games.
The Argentine also did not make a scandal over the change of venue for a match that should have hosted at home.
“In the current state the world is in, we just have to try to focus on doing what we enjoy, which is playing football, without worrying about what we can’t control. We will only focus on facing a great team. with the best players. ” ,” he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: espn.co.uk
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