Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash.
Igor Tudor is still searching for his first win at the club, having lost all three games so far since replacing Thomas Frank at the helm.
This will be his first European game in charge of the Lilywhites, with each of his three games so far coming in the Premier League.
Atletico Madrid have struggled in La Liga this season as they find themselves third in the league table.
And now, ahead of their European knockout adventure, Diego Simeone has made a rather bizarre claim that almost makes it look like he’s on a bit of a wind-up.
Simeone says Atletico aren’t favourites vs Tottenham
Despite Tottenham’s domestic struggles, they surprisingly fared quite well in the Champions League.
Under Frank, they secured a fourth-place finish in the group phase, earning them a place in the Round of 16 directly.
Read More: Igor Tudor responds directly to Tottenham sack claims as relegation woes deepen
Atletico, meanwhile, sealed their place in the last-16 via the playoffs after a 7-4 aggregate win against Club Brugge.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the game, Simeone was asked if Atleti are favourites for the game, as Tottenham’s Premier League form has put them on the brink of relegation.
“Favorites? I don’t know what that’s related to. If it’s related to them finishing fourth in the qualifiers, we actually aren’t favorites,” said the Argentine.
“If you want to relate it to their current moment. It’s, however, you (the media) want to write it or steer the people who listen to you.”
Simeone knows exactly what he’s doing
Simeone is far too experienced on the grandest stage, so he put the pressure right back on Tottenham to give his side a psychological advantage ahead of the game.
The Lilywhites haven’t won a Premier League game in their last 11 attempts and are in their worst run of form in over 32 years.
Read More: Pedro Porro makes brutally honest claim on Tottenham’s starting XI – and he’s absolutely right
Simeone also mentioned in his press conference that he hasn’t followed Tottenham as much this season, so he is unaware of the details behind their relegation struggles.
However, he is sure to have analysed hours worth of footage to prepare for the game, which would have made it blatantly clear that this is certainly a winnable tie for his side.
