Pep Guardiola admitted that the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid will not be easy and that "they are always complicated opponents." He went on, "If Atletico plays well, they always win."
The Bayern Munich coach had much praise for the Rojiblancos in his press conference on Friday after the semi-final draw in Nyon, highlighting Diego Simeone's achievements at the helm. "[Simeone] is one of the best coach's in the world and has changed Atletico, it has given him confidence.
A second semi-final appearance for Atletico in three seasons was achieved by both the tireless performances of the Atletico players, but also the '12th man' at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, a crowd that in fine voice once again on Wednesday night.
"This stadium is perhaps the best atmosphere in Europe and the fans support their team for 90 minutes," Guardiola acknowledged. "It will be a great experience for players like Philip Lahm and Manuel Neuer, the German players have never played against Atletico and it will be a great, great experience for them.