Simeone: Atletico ready for Levante

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes his side are fully prepared for their La Liga opener away to Levante on Sunday.

Levante enjoyed their most successful campaign to date in the Spanish top flight last season – securing European football for the first time.

Juan Ignacio Martinez’s men finished sixth – one place behind Atletico – and Simeone is under no illusions about the size of the task his players face in the curtain-raising fixture.

“We know that the game against Levante is going to be very difficult and hard,” Simeone said.

“It is a team who are about to play in the Europa League, so their preparation will be good, and it will be a hard game, like always, against Levante.”

“I know we did a great job during the pre-season.

“The people who arrived like (Christian) Rodriguez, Cata Diaz, (Belozoglu) Emre and Raul (Garcia) have being doing well with the group and that will generate a lot of expectation.

“We have worked well and we are looking forward to the beginning of the season.

“We believe our way is only thinking match by match, respecting the rivals, but also trying to thrill when we are on the pitch.

“All of these are ideas, thoughts and preparation. Sunday is when it gets underway.

“And then all the words and the ideas are left behind and then the facts come, and we hope we can demonstrate our feeling on the pitch.”