The Spanish champions have established a formidable reputation in recent years for being one of the toughest nuts to crack in European football, armed as they are with a water-tight defence and potent strike force.
Asked at Monday’s pre-match press conference if he was expecting a similar challenge to that presented by some of our Premier League opponents, Bernardo was unequivocal in his response.
“Maybe the style of play will be similar to some Premier League teams but it’s a team with some of the best players in the world. It’s not comparable,” Bernardo pointed out.
“If you look at the top teams in England, most don’t play like Atletico. It will make the game a bit different.
“They are very organised, competitive and have a specific style of play.
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“They know important games when pressure is high. We expect an aggressive team, on and off the ball, prepared to counter-attack and not give us much space.
“It will definitely be a tough game tomorrow.
“It’s never easy to play against them - it wasn’t easy for Manchester United or Liverpool - but if we follow Pep’s plan and do our job, it will work.”
Play the video to watch Bernardo‘s press conference in full...
