Diego Simeone reacts as Atletico Madrid draw city rivals Real Madrid as opponents in UCL Round of 16

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has given a positive response to drawing Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. The two city rivals will face each other once again in Europe next month for a place in the quarterfinals.

Los Blancos finished the league stages in 11th place and faced Manchester City in a two-legged playoff. They got the better of the Cityzens 6-3 on aggregate to progress to the knockouts.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, secured a berth in the knockouts after finishing fifth in the league stages. Following Friday's draw, Los Rojiblancos have been pitted against their local rivals once again.

Speaking to the press, as cited by Madrid Universal, Simeone insisted that his team will be ready for Los Blancos.

“A great match, a great match. And we are ready. When you choose to be a coach, you want the best, you seek to face the strongest opponents and compete in all competitions to be close to winning. We are there, and I am happy with everything that is happening,” said Simeone.

Atletico Madrid are third in the LaLiga table after 24 games, a point behind Carlo Ancelotti's side, who are second. The two bitter rivals have faced each other twice already in the league, with both games ending in draws.

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How many times have Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid faced each other in the Champions League?

Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid have faced Atletico Madrid nine times in the Champions League to date, and have an edge over their local rivals in Europe. Los Blancos have won five and lost two.

The most famous meeting between the two, of course, was the 2013-14 Champions League final. It was a face-off between Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone at the Estadio do SL Benfica in Lisbon.

Los Rojiblancos looked set for a historic 1-0 win before Sergio Ramos equalized in the third minute of second-half injury time. Real Madrid went on to win the game 4-1 after extra time, securing the fabled La Decima, their 10th European title.

The two teams also faced off again in the 2015-16 final, where Los Blancos registered a 5-3 win on penalties. Their last meeting was in the 2016-17 season semi-final. Real Madrid won 3-0 at home in the first leg, while Atletico Madrid managed a 2-1 win at the Metropolitano Stadium. Los Blancos progressed to the final and went on to lift the title.