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German legend Lothar Matthaus has picked who he thinks will prevail in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The Spanish sides have been drawn to face each other in the next stage of the Champions League after the reigning champions overcame Manchester City in the previous round.
Speaking about the potential clash between the two European giants, the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan star told AS:
“I would have preferred to see an international match at this stage rather than the Madrid derby. The two giants have already met twice in the Champions League final and on both occasions there was a great fight.”
“In the Champions League, Real Madrid lost three times in the league phase and therefore had to resort to the playoffs. But against Manchester City, Real Madrid were up to the task. As always, when it matters. That’s why I think Real Madrid will make it to the quarter-finals. But Atletico will give it their all again,” he added.
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Atletico Madrid, Real's cross-town rivals, are also competing for the LaLiga title. After 25 games, just two points separate them, while Los Blancos have a game in hand.
“It will be difficult, as always, to play against Atlético" - Real Madrid manager not keen to face Atletico Madrid again
Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he is not excited to face Atletico Madrid again after the Spanis sides were drawn to face each other again in the Champions League. The two teams have already faced each other two times in LaLiga, drawing those games.
Speaking about the UEFA Champions League clash in a recent interview, the Italian Manager discussed the difficulty of facing the Madrid-based club again. He said via Managing Madrid:
“It will be difficult, as always, to play against Atlético. It will be a nice, entertaining, even and balanced tie. The last two encounters were draws, which means that the quality of both teams is similar.”
Los Blancos will face a formidable opponent, Atletico Madrid, that has been in good form recently. Los Rojiblancos have won five of their last eight games, drawing just three, and will visit the Santiago Bernabeu on March 4 for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash.
