Diego Simeone Hopeful of Win Against Roma in Order to Keep Champions League Dream Alive

Diego Simeone has a lot to worry about. Atletico Madrid crucially need to win Wednesday's match against Roma in order to keep the dream to reach the Champions League knockout stages alive. 

And even if they do, their future in the European competition is still all but certain as, after Roma, will come Chelsea, who humiliated them in the first leg in a 2-1 win at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. 

Speaking ahead of the match, Simeone did not hide his fears to be eliminated, but also claimed that the team needs to score and football is full of surprises: "Roma will have the chance to secure their qualification and will try to threaten us from the beginning. 

"But the important thing for our club is always to improve. We need to win and then check Qarabag's result. Football is beautiful because, sometimes, surprises do happen."

Simeone will meet again with Roma manager and former midfielder Eusebio Di Francesco, who is an old acquaintance for the Argentine. 

The two both played in Rome during their careers - Di Francesco at Roma and Simeone at Lazio - as the Ateli managed recalled: "I remember we faced off in one of the Rome derbies. He is a warrior, we are very similar."

But now that they're both coaching clubs from the bench, Simeone has other problems to solve, like, for example, his talisman Antoine Griezmann's future and presence in Madrid.

The Frenchman hasn't managed to score for Atletico since late September: "He is a great young player and the teammates support him. After four years of fantastic performances, it's normal that he wants to do more.

"It happened to him and it will equally happen to me and the other stars who play for this club."