Diego Simeone rejected the claim that all the pressure is on Atletico Madrid ahead of their return leg against Club Brugge in the Champions League, with the tie balanced at 3-3.

Atleti welcome Brugge to the Estadio Metropolitano on Tuesday, having squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 as the teams split six goals equally in Belgium last week.

Atleti have progressed from nine of their 10 previous two-legged European Cup or Champions League knockout ties when avoiding defeat away from home in the first leg, including each of the four that have been under current boss Simeone.

But Los Colchoneros are winless in three Champions League matches (two draws, one defeat) – they last went four without a victory in the same edition in 2022-23 (a run of five).

With Brugge looking to become the first Belgian team to eliminate Spanish opposition from the Champions League this century (Anderlecht have accomplished the feat in the Europa League and the Conference League), it has been suggested that Ivan Leko’s team have nothing to lose.

When that was put to the Argentine at Monday’s pre-match press conference, he said: “I don’t think that way, I don’t relate that to the fact that I have something to lose.

“I see Brugge, who play well, especially at home. They are brave, with young players, who run a lot.

“They have been competing since the arrival of Leko, who is a very good coach, in the best way. We believe that we can take the game to where we can do damage.”

Tomorrow.
24 hours from now.
All together at home. pic.twitter.com/YWIen3O14p

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 23, 2026

Atleti have not won any of their last four games against Brugge (three draws, one loss).

The only opponent they have had a longer winless run against in the European Cup or Champions League is rivals Real Madrid (six matches between 1959 and 2017).

Simeone’s side were involved in another six-goal thriller in LaLiga on Saturday, though on that occasion, they emerged 4-2 victors at home against Espanyol.

And he wants his team to discover a better balance, saying: “The players we have can take us to that place, with more attacking players and offensive football.

“We have evolved in that facet, but we have to recover in defence, which in LaLiga is not so bad and even so, we are far from where we should be. Let’s hope we find the balance.”