'We Play The Way We Play'

MADRID • Tactics from the dinosaur age.

That was how Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described Atletico Madrid's approach in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad last week.

The hosts emerged 1-0 victors but it was a niggly affair, underlined by the usual gamesmanship deployed by Diego Simeone's side, who failed to muster a single shot.

Of the visitors' ultra-careful set-up, Guardiola said: "They have gone 5-5-0. Two lines of five. And in prehistory, today and in a hundred thousand years, attacking a 5-5 is very difficult. It is that there is no space. Apart from the fact they are very competitive and defend very well, there's no space."

Atletico midfielder and captain Koke has since hit back, posting on social media he was "in love" with the club's "prehistory".

Simeone yesterday also called for Guardiola and other critics, like former Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi, to show more respect towards the reigning La Liga champions' defensive style of play ahead of today's second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano.

"Since I started coaching in 2005, if I'm not mistaken, I have never criticised a colleague of mine. Never," the Argentinian said at his pre-match press conference.

"I believe there are different ways of playing to get what you want from each match but when somebody criticises a colleague, I don't get involved.

"As my father used to say, 'The mouth kills the fish'. There are several ways to play, I choose one, but you have to respect your colleagues. Always, always, always."

Koke agreed, adding: "We have been playing like this for a decade and we enjoy it. We have a plan and we will always be within this plan.

"Let people say what they want. We play the way we play, we have our plan and we are going to continue playing the way we play despite what the pundits suggest."

The inflammatory remarks by Guardiola will surely add spice to an already tempestuous contest.

Uefa on Monday told Atletico they had to close a section of at least 5,000 seats and place a #NoToRacism" banner in the gap after the visiting fans had shown "discriminatory behaviour" in the first leg.

But that is unlikely to quell what will be a heated atmosphere, as the home supporters seek to will their team to a first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2017, and Atletico yesterday filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to get that ruling overturned.

"What we were able to get from the first leg with that result is hope," Simeone said. "We're not going to stray too far from what we do best. Hopefully, we can combine better, have quicker transitions, counter-attacks, and our key players can have fantastic nights."

But given their one-goal deficit, Guardiola feels Atletico cannot afford to sit back and wait for the counter as usual, and he plans to exploit the space through Kevin de Bruyne, the scorer in the first leg.

"We've got people all over the field who can eliminate players on the field. Kevin is good when he attacks the spaces, he's very good between the lines... he's an amazing player to attack space if it's huge or reduced," the Catalan said yesterday before City's flight to Madrid.

"It will be a different game, not like last week. They're at home with their fans behind them. From what I remember from knockout games, at the Wanda, they create problems, defend and counter.

"They will be more intense in the top half of the field than they were the other night. We adapt and if we're losing, we go with everything to get it back. If we're on top, maybe we sit a bit deeper."

City have no injury problems, with Ruben Dias having returned to training this week. Yannick Carrasco is back in Atletico's fold after serving a three-match European ban but Jose Gimenez and Hector Herrera are set to miss out again.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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