Atlético de Madrid did their homework and secured a resounding victory against Salzburg by 1-4. Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann with a double, and Marcos Llorente were responsible for penetrating the opponent's goal. With this triumph, the colchoneros have secured the top 8 of the Champions League, finally finishing as the fifth-ranked team.
After the match, the possible opponents that Atlético de Madrid might face have already been revealed. A draw that hasn't been kind to the rojiblancos, despite having performed well in the first phase. This was discussed on COPE in the latest debate.
Petón's fear of the big rivals
Atlético, which has qualified directly for the round of 16 as the fifth-ranked team, can only face one of those three giants of European football. According to Paco González, who posed the question on COPE, the problem with the new format is that "you do everything right and fate punishes you with a beast." Petón explained that, although right now the form of each team is different, everything can change in a month.
"In a month, all three can be impressive. City may have recovered with market reinforcements, even if they aren't dazzling, and may have acquired a better tone. In these last two months, it's obvious that Real Madrid is growing. And Bayern can only improve too, it's going to be very complicated," he assured.
Which opponent does Petón prefer?
Despite considering that any matchup will be difficult, Petón leaned toward Bayern Munich as the "least complicated" opponent for Atlético de Madrid. "Surely Bayern, which Atleti handles well. Madrid is going to have an easy tie with Celtic," he commented sarcastically.
He also added a curious comment about the history between Spain and Germany. "City, I don't know what they'll do, so I'm heading toward Bavaria, which is the most similar to Spain, where we are cousins of Charles V and all, his grandchildren."
With the Champions League draw getting closer, Atlético de Madrid fans are anxiously waiting to know their next opponent. What is certain is that whoever the opponent is, Simeone's team will have to give their all to keep advancing in Europe.