Expanded Champions League will make for more exciting games – Diego Simeone

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone feels the new format of the Champions League will push more teams to go for the win as they look to secure a place in the knockout stages.

UEFA’s revamped showpiece club competition will see 36 teams all in one initial table, playing eight fixtures each.

Following the opening schedule which runs until the end of January, the top eight sides will then qualify for the straight knockout section, with those finishing from ninth to 24th place set for a two-legged play-off to also secure a spot in the last 16.

Atletico will host RB Leipzig on Wednesday night and Simeone, whose side made it to the quarter-finals last season, feels the changes should encourage more adventure..

“We have to win, it is clear that the top eight will get 20 points or more, so it invites us all to bet on winning,” Simeone told a press conference.

“I saw the Liverpool (versus) AC Milan game (on Tuesday), which was dynamic and entertaining.

“We can see a more entertaining Champions League for people because all the teams need to win – draws are only good for you up to a certain point, so we will have to compete hard.”

Atletico, who are unbeaten so far in the new LaLiga season, will also play French giants Paris St Germain, Benfica, Lille, Sparta Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Bayer Leverkusen and Salzburg.

Simeone, though, wants full focus on their first opponents, with Leipzig also having not yet lost in their opening Bundesliga games, which included a 3-2 win at Leverkusen which ended the champions’ 35-game undefeated league run.

“We will see what we find, because we have seen both versions of them,” Simeone said.

“Against Union Berlin they attacked the whole game (which finished goalless), they have fast players from midfield up, and against Leverkusen they played by taking cover and going on the counter-attack.”