Diego Simeone insists Barcelona are 'better' than Atletico Madrid after setting up Champions League quarter-final

Atletico safely negotiated their way through a tricky second leg in north London to reach the final eight of the Champions League. While a 7-5 aggregate victory over Tottenham suggests a comfortable progression, the Spanish side had to endure periods of pressure before their individual quality ultimately told. They suffered defeat in the second leg after Xavi Simons' last-minute penalty secured a 3-2 victory for the home side.

Speaking after Atletico secured their place in the final eight of Europe's elite competition, Simeone was quick to pivot his focus toward their domestic rivals. While many managers might opt for mind games, the Atleti boss was transparent about the hierarchy entering the tie. 

"Barcelona is better than us, but it will push us to compete, hopefully, in the best way possible," Simeone stated as quoted by AS. "We're trying to compete with Barcelona, who are the team we're drawn against. I have no doubt that they are the best attacking team in Europe. The possibility of a quarter-final against them is a high-level challenge and will demand that level from us."

The victory over Tottenham marks the eighth time in 13 years that Simeone has guided Atletico to the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite occasional criticism regarding the team's style or expectations, the manager believes his track record speaks for itself.

"Sometimes words aren't necessary. The facts and numbers speak for themselves. We have to keep giving our best energy, our best quality, to keep reinventing ourselves, and today the team made a tremendous effort," he remarked.

The schedule ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals early next month will be extremely demanding for Simeone's squad. Before traveling to Spotify Camp Nou for the first leg, they first play two crucial La Liga matches against Real Madrid on March 22 and Barca on April 4. Atleti currently sit in third place in the league standings with 57 points from 28 matches, nine points behind Los Blancos and 13 points behind leaders Blaugrana.