It may be the first competitive match of the season for both teams, but Diego Simeone seems to have their opponent figured out.
The Argentine boss shared his views on what the game could have in store for Los Colchoneros, and hinted that neither team's tactics could decide the outcome of the first-ever clash between the bitter rivals in this competition.
"Maybe phisically we're in better shape than they are, but what really matters is the level of intensity and emotion. That could be the real game changer. We can win this game if we're better emotionally," Simeone said.
The former River Plate boss also shared the difficulties he had during this summer, mainly because he had to work with one part of the team in Singapore and the other half of the team back home.
It was a really complex pre-season to plan, because we had so many players performing in the World Cup, and some of them were fortunate enough to win it. Be it as it may, their hunger for titles is there. We had two teams working, one in Singapore and the other half in Madrid, but now, we'll have the chance to work as a unit, as we've always worked. Hopefully, we'll be able to walk away with the trophy," Simeone added.
Speaking about the team's busy transfer window, Simeone admitted that fans can get their hopes up, but that doesn't mean they will change their particular approach on the game.
"We have high hopes. We have to work harder, because we weren't able to sign players for 18 months, and now we have six new players. Added to that, players such as Gabi and Fernando (Torres) left the team, so we have to work on becoming a real team, then we can expect things to go our way," Simeone concluded.
