Simeone: Atletico Must Prove Its Worth Among Europe's Elite Teams

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone noted that "his team must prove its worth among the best eight teams on the continent as they prepare to host Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals tomorrow, Wednesday." Atletico has drifted away from the La Liga title race, occupying fourth place, 17 points behind leaders Real Madrid, and has won three out of their last eight matches across all competitions. The team needed penalties to overcome Inter Milan, last season's runners-up, to reach the quarter-finals after their Round of 16 tie ended in a 2-2 aggregate draw. Simeone told a press conference on Tuesday: "We just need to go out and show what it takes to stay in this competition; perhaps Dortmund is the team that plays with the most power among those who qualified for the quarter-finals." He added: "We need to play an important match and we need our supporters to back us as they always do." Atletico faces Dortmund, who topped a tough group that included Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, and Newcastle United, without the advantage of playing the second leg at home. The Spanish team has struggled away but has performed better at the Metropolitano Stadium.