‘I have a plan’ – Diego Simeone ready for Barcelona after making 10 changes to his Atletico team ahead of crucial Champions League showdown

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 08: Diego Simeone, Head Coach of Atletico de Madrid, arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and Club Atlético de Madrid at Camp Nou on April 08, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says he has a plan for Tuesday’s crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona.

The hosts head into the game 2-0 up in the tie and in good shape to make it through to the semi-finals and a match-up against Arsenal or Sporting.

Simeone made 10 changes to his Atletico team against Sevilla ahead of the game, going on to lose 2-1, and was asked if his team had been distracted by the upcoming Champions League fixture.

“No, no. Atlético didn’t win because Sevilla were more decisive,” he told reporters.

“We have a plan. That doesn’t mean it will go well, it could go badly, but I have a plan and I’m not going to deviate from it.

“For me, age doesn’t matter. Some players understand the game, others don’t. We did more things right than wrong; the truth is that the opposition really needed the win. We competed very well, we couldn’t create as many goal-scoring opportunities as we’d have liked.

“We had far more possession than I would have preferred, I’d have preferred us to be direct and intense in our transitions, but we couldn’t manage it. We ended up with a narrow result that we could have drawn.”

Atletico and Barcelona have already faced off four times this season. Barca won both La Liga fixtures, while Atletico won 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.