The Wanda Metropolitano stadium holds special memories for Jurgen Klopp, whose Liverpool team won the Champions League here in June 2019. However, their most recent visit in February 2020 was not as sweet as it ended in a 1-0 defeat to hosts Atletico Madrid in the last-16-round (Atletico completed the job at Anfield a month later, winning 3-2).Tonight two teams meet again and the German manager warned his players that if they repeat the performance that saw them lose their European crown last year, they will get ‘eaten’ by Atleti.Spanish clubs are not Klopp’s cup of tea – he never won with the Reds in Spain during his six years in charge, losing four games and drawing once of five matches. If there is any kind of drop from the blistering form they have shown in the Premier League, Klopp believes that negative Spanish sequence will be extended.Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for opposite number Diego Simeone and the ‘quality’ job he has done at Atletico Madrid. pic.twitter.com/fyXQiDAX35— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2021 During the match build-up, Klopp was asked whether a match against Diego Simeone’s side something of a ‘football war’.’It is. Atleti are the best of them (those sorts of teams) because they have the best players. If you play Sevilla it was always similar atmosphere and fight, it’s a proper, proper fight.’ Klopp said.’The problem with Atletico is the quality they have and the desire they show. Would it be the style I wanted to play? No. I couldn’t, I’m not the person for it, but we are all different and that is why it is fine. We will face it.’It is all about winning football games but we played an an absolutely exceptional game at home against Atletico.’We didn’t forget how bad we were there and I’m pretty sure Diego hasn’t forgotten how good we were at home so I am pretty sure there is a way of causing them problems but you have to play a top-class game and be incredibly brave. If you don’t do that, they eat you.’However, a huge confidence boost for the English giants is Mohamed Salah’s outstanding form. When asked about his threat yesterday, Los Colchoneros manager Simeone described the Egyptian as being ‘extraordinary’.Diego Simeone was asked about Jurgen Klopp’s criticism of how his teams play football…He literally had nothing to say 😅 pic.twitter.com/v3OAvtXy8J— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 18, 2021 Klopp claimed Salah could be a potential Ballon d’Or winner and called him the best in the world at the moment.’I have no idea how exactly you win the Ballon d’Or,’ said Klopp. ‘If it’s about being in the Champions League final, scoring the most goals, then it could be slightly difficult but if it’s about performances over the last two years then he has a chance from my point of view but I’m not involved in the competition.’Does he get the recognition finally? Internally he always got it, externally I don’t know. After two goals he scored now people think all of a sudden because of that he could be the best player in the world is a bit strange.’UEFA Champions League Match Day 3 fixtures 💪The biggest names are back in action 😤#UEFA #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/KEaYtFbF2H— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) October 18, 2021 Elsewhere, other matches could attract attention alongside the one being played the capital of Spain. In what could be the next best thing this evening, Ajax welcome Borussia Dortmund.Inter Milan, who are still winless in the competition, welcome the team that shocked the entire footballing world – Moldavian Sheriff, underdogs that collected two wins out of two matches in Group D. Defeating Real Madrid at Santiago Benabeu is not a small matter and Inter should not take this match for granted.Group A surprise Club Brugge managed to hold of PSG in round one and defeated Leipzig in round two – Pep Guardiola’s City will try and justify the epithet of a favourite in their match-up against the Belgians tonight.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – GROUP STAGE – MATCHDAY 3Tuesday19:45: (10.5) Club Brugge (5.80) Man.City (1.32)19:45: (3.25) Besiktas (3.20) Sporting (2.45)22:00: (1.60) PSG (4.20) RB Leipzig (6.00)22:00: (3.15) Atl.Madrid (3.20) Liverpool (2.50)22:00: (2.60) Porto (3.25) Milan (2.95)22:00: (2.35) Ajax (3.60) Dortmund (3.10)22:00: (1.22) Inter (7.75) Sheriff Tiraspol (16.0)22:00: (5.50) Shakhtar (3.90) Real Madrid (1.70)Wednesday19:45: (1.27) Barcelona (6.75) Dynamo Kyiv (11.0)19:45: (2.20) Salzburg (3.50) Wolfsburg (3.50)22:00: (8.00) Benfica (5.30) Bayern (1.40)22:00: (1.80) Man.Utd. (3.80) Atalanta (4.80)22:00: (3.25) Young Boys (3.40) Villareal (2.35)22:00: (3.60) Lille (3.10) Sevilla (2.35)22:00: (1.12) Chelsea (10.5) Malmo (25.0)22:00: (3.50) Zenit (3.35) Juventus (2.25)
