Tonight we will be seeing a battle between two greats in Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone. Heading into their 27th clash, with the two managers having faced each other more often than any other rival in their careers, they are tied at nine wins each along with eight draws. Those matches have seen countless goals and memorable moments filled with drama and tension but ultimately, Ancelotti has said he has nothing but “respect” for his counterpart.

Now, as a coach, I respect him a lot. He’s a great manager. He has done very well at Atlético, taken them to the highest level in Europe. I like the way he reads the games, how he gets the team on the pitch, the strategy, the commitment his team has defensively. I like all of these aspects a lot.

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