Simeone: I don't want the Calderon quiet even for a second
Diego Simeone has called on Atletico Madrid's fans to inspire them to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their UEFA Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday. Hakan Calhanoglu's spectacular strike handed the Germans a deserved lead against an Atletico side that finished the game with ten men in a bad tempered last-16 affair three weeks ago.
However, Simeone's men have won 20 of their last 22 European games at the Vicente Calderon, and the Argentinian is hoping home advantage has an important role to play as Atletico target the last eight for the second consecutive season.
"Tomorrow I expect the Calderon that has pushed us to achieve great things," Simeone said on Monday. "I don't want the stadium to be quiet even for a moment."
Schmidt wants cool heads
Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt, meanwhile, insisted that Atletico remain the favourites despite his side's slender advantage.
"For me the result we got three weeks ago is a positive one, but we haven't done anything yet," he said. "Atletico continue to be the favourites and we'll have to give it our all tomorrow. We know that Atletico are very strong at home."
Atletico have come unstuck domestically of late, though, and go into Tuesday's game on the back of a four-game winless streak. A big part of that slump in form has been a lack of discipline with Diego Simeone's men ending three of their last five games with ten men.
Los Rojiblancos will again be without two key players through suspension against Leverkusen as Diego Godin and Tiago miss out, and Schmidt knows his young side will need to keep their head amongst the cauldron-like atmosphere in the Spanish capital.
"We know that Atletico have a very strong mentality and they fight a lot," he said. "In such a heated atmosphere we need to keep cool heads.
"I am not worried about the atmosphere, but excited by it. It is part of the big challenge that faces us. If we want to go through, we need to make a huge effort and we need to enjoy the pressure of the atmosphere."
Schmidt also confirmed that German international Lars Bender should be fit to start despite missing Friday's 4-0 win over Stuttgart due to an ankle injury.