Atletico Madrid Seek Redemption in Champions League Clash with Inter Milan

Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico Madrid, stated that his team must be totally concentrated in order to defeat Inter Milan in the second leg of their Champions League Round-of-16 match on Wednesday.

After suffering an unexpected 2-0 setback to relegation-threatened Cadiz in La Liga on Saturday, Atletico will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 loss in Milan last month.

Inter controlled the first leg, as Atletico failed to muster any shots on goal thanks to the strong defense of the home team.

"I comprehend all that is transpiring for us," Simeone stated during a press conference on Tuesday. "We hope to continue to grow from the lessons we have learned. Until the home game against Athletic Bilbao, we had a very good season, competing, (but) in the last few games, the team did not maintain the level it had been playing at."

"It's a high-stakes game against Inter, and the person with the most concentration wins."

Moving forward The return of Antoine Griezmann, who had to be substituted late in the game due to an ankle sprain during the first meeting, will be a major advantage for the winners of 2014 and 2016.

Simeone remarked, "His return to the team gives us more possibilities and more solutions, both tactically and in terms of the game." "Hopefully he gets to play the game he wants to play."

Axel Witsel, a defender, stated that the Frenchman's contribution to the team is significant.

"Grizzie is a huge asset to the club, and things are different without him. We are thrilled that he is returning because he is a key member of our team, Witsel stated.

Only defender Jose Gimenez and injured midfielder Thomas Lemar were absent from the team's most recent practice before the Inter match.

Problems with injuries

Due to an injury, Marko Arnautović of Inter Milan will be sidelined for an additional month, and Carlos Augusto, a teammate, will also be absent on Wednesday.

Due to injuries, both players had to leave the field during Inter's 1-0 victory over Bologna on Saturday. The Brazilian winger has a calf strain in his right leg, while the Austrian (Arnautović) has sustained a muscle strain in his right thigh, the club said in a statement.

system of seeds

According to Uefa's announcement on Tuesday, the redesigned Champions League would employ a tennis-style seeding system for the last-16 knockout stage. The manual draw will likewise be replaced by a semi-automated one.

The league will include 36 clubs instead of 32 next season, and the six groups of four that are now in place will be replaced by a single group in which teams play eight games against various opponents. The top eight finishers advance to the round of 16, while the remaining 24 finishers go to a playoff round to determine the remaining eight.

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