Atletico Madrid manager, Diego Simeone has insisted he would not feel any extra pressure to beat Real Madrid in the Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.
Simeone has seen his team eliminated from the competition by their city rivals, in each of the last three seasons.
Atletico was beaten by Madrid in dramatic circumstances in both the 2014 and 2016 finals and 1-0 on aggregate in the 2015 quarter-finals.
“Before every game there is the usual tension you have due to the responsibility we have at the club, with these fans,” Simeone said at his press conference on Monday.
“That keeps growing all the time, and I keep it with me whether we are playing Las Palmas, Real Madrid or Leganes.
“Actually, sometimes before games which might seem easier on paper, I am more nervous about getting the players to do what we want”, he added.
Simeone also stated that he expected Real coach, Zinedine Zidane, to attack his side from kick-off.
“I imagine a game with them starting strongly as they usually do at home,” he said. “They might play Isco behind two forwards, or put [Marco] Asensio or James [Rodriguez] out wide. From there they will try and do us damage at the start, with intensity, the atmosphere, the pressure. We will try and be strong, and take the game to a place which is more comfortable for us,” he said.
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