Diego Simeone has attempted to ensure not a semblance of complacency permeates through his Atlético Madrid squad ahead of their Champions League round of 16 tie with Tottenham.
While Spurs are staring down the barrel of a stunning relegation domestically, they were productive in Europe under the now-departed Thomas Frank. Admittedly, we did benefit from a kind draw, but victories in this competition aren't to be scoffed at.
Back-to-back wins over Bundesliga opposition in the new year thrust us up to the lofty heights of fourth in the table, crucially meaning that we avoided the knockout playoff round.
However, our stellar start to the Champions League wasn't exactly rewarded. In the last 16, we'll face off against Atléti, who bypassed Club Brugge in the playoffs and are two-time finalists with Simeone at the helm.
They've been plagued by quarter-final exits in recent years, and even succumbed to a double-touch from 12 yards in last season's round of 16 penalty shootout defeat to cross-city rivals Real Madrid. Still, this is a mightily tough ask for a Spurs team on its knees.
Simeone explains why Tottenham are 'favourites' in round of 16 tie
While Atléti have struggled for consistency across the board this term, Tottenham have been consistently woeful on the domestic front. European excursions offered some much-needed respite, as was the case last term.
Despite our continental success, the overwhelming majority have the La Liga outfit as favourites to progress. Tudor's reign has started bleakly, with three successive defeats, and the Croat doesn't exactly have a glowing Champions League record. He's overseen just two victories in nine outings. Simeone, in contrast, is gunning for his 64th victory in match No. 126. It's a mismatch on the touchline.
With the odds stacked in Atléti's favour, Simeone has tried to ground his players—and perhaps himself—ahead the first leg by labelling Spurs as "favourites".
“We are not favourites versus Spurs. Remember, Tottenham came fourth in the league phase, we came through the play-offs," he said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“It’s clear that we are not favourites."
Spurs did outperform their upcoming opponents during the first phase, so perhaps there's some rationale behind Simeone's assertion. Nevertheless, it's clear what the Argentine's intentions are.
I think there's reason to believe that this tie will be more competitive than some might expect, and Opta actually ranks this match-up as the second-toughest to call out of the eight ties. Spurs have Atléti target Cristian Romero back and seem to find another gear on European nights.
Tuesday's hosts, meanwhile, have been free-scoring as of late but similarly porous. It's not the gritty and resolute Simeone-led outfits that once troubled Europe's elite. This is a more dynamic iteration, but a team that can certainly be got at. Spurs may well have a chance.