Atlético de Madrid, a regular in the Champions League round of 16 with Simeone at the helm

Atlético de Madrid qualified this Tuesday for the round of 16 of the 2025-2026 Champions League after beating Club Brugge 4-1 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in the second leg of the playoffs, thus breaking the equality settled six days earlier on Belgian soil (3-3) and where Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool await in what is the thirteenth time in the history of the red-and-white entity — since the new name of the competition–.

Diego Pablo Simeone’s pupils knew how to suffer to certify their presence among the 16 best teams in the top European competition in a round that with the Argentine on the bench they have only not been present on two occasions when they have competed in it – 2017-2018 and 2022-2023 seasons -. In those editions, the red and white club was eliminated from the European tournament in the group stage.

Thus, already waiting to meet their rival this coming Friday, which will be English, Atlético de Madrid hopes to continue burning rounds in search of the long-awaited final that will be played at the end of May in Budapest (Hungary). Before, on the horizon looms the return of the Copa del Rey Mapfre semifinals next Tuesday, March 3 against FC Barcelona (9:00 p.m.) where they defend the large advantage gained at the Metropolitano (4-0).

But to continue dreaming of an idyllic end to the season where metal is played after five seasons suffering through the desert, Simeone’s men must put aside the irregularity that has hampered the team so much in recent weeks. Since the new year began, Atlético de Madrid has not managed to string together three victories in a row that would give stability and confidence to a team that at the beginning of the season aspired to everything.

Furthermore, defensive fragility is another of the challenges ahead for the Madrid team who have not kept a clean sheet in the Champions League in any of the ten matches played to date with 19 goals against, reaching a new negative record for the history of the entity in the European competition.