Diego Simeone, head coach of Spanish club Atlético Madrid, emphasized the importance of the upcoming match against Turkish side Galatasaray, as part of the seventh round of the UEFA Champions League, scheduled to be held at Rams Park stadium.

Atlético Madrid will visit Galatasaray in a highly important match, as the Spanish team seeks to secure direct qualification to the round of 16 without going through the playoffs.

Simeone said in statements to the media: "Galatasaray is a team with great energy and will demand the best from us."

He continued: "The opponent has very distinguished players in the attacking side, Osimhen returns, and the team has a very good pair of wingers, Gundogan in midfield, and we all know his value and experience. I see a very competitive team, and we will try to take the match to the areas where we believe we can harm them."

The Atlético Madrid coach added: "In football, the only way to score is by creating scoring chances. We work on applying and executing that better each time to achieve it. We need to win both matches; a draw combined with a win is not enough to be among the top eight."

Regarding the battle for the top eight positions, Simeone said: "There are very strong teams with big names. We strive to be in this group to avoid an additional knockout match. It's difficult for everyone because the competition is very close. Other teams will win, and the level of requirements to be among the top eight will be extremely high."

He continued: "We focus on the players currently available; that is what matters to us as the match demands it, and the club acts accordingly. There are still days left, and some reinforcements may arrive, and most likely will. We must focus on what concerns us now, which is the present."

Returning to talk about Galatasaray, he confirmed: "The work they have done is amazing in terms of their ability to continue all this time in the way they have worked to maintain the machine they have. When comparing the previous team to the current one, there are different characteristics because the players are different, as well as the atmosphere and this stadium, which I like very much. The energy of the city and the fans conveys the best of football, which is passion."

Simeone concluded his statements by saying: "We hope that tomorrow we can deal with set pieces in the best possible way, as they are one of Galatasaray's strengths."